April 22nd, 2003
Miami Herald
Three U.S.
representatives last week requested that the Defense Logistics
Agency and the Army Material Command investigate whether a potential
procurement conflict exists at Point Blank Body Armor and parent
company DHB Industries (DHB).
DHB hired Edward Lavigne, a former Army official, as a vice
president of its NDL Products subsidiary -- and sister company to
Point Blank -- in 2001. Lavigne administered DHB's contracts to
produce protective vests, known as the Inceptor, while with the Army
in Natick, Mass, according to the representatives' letters. Point
Blank assembles the vests at its plants in Oakland Park and
Deerfield Beach.
The representatives expressed concern that DHB may be in violation
of the Procurement Integrity Act, which prohibits contracting
officers from going to work for companies whose contracts they
oversaw in the previous 12 months.
DHB officials couldn't be reached for comment. The letters were
signed by Reps. Alcee Hastings of Miramar, Jan Schakowsky of
Illinois and Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii.
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