Marriage Tied MZM to Pentagon Spy Chief’s OfficeAnybody remember the Foreign Supplier Assessment Center? That’s the operation MZM spent so much time and money trying to win a contract to run. Mitchell Wade bundled thousands of dollars in illegal contributions to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure MZM got the deal. (Wade is also the top briber of Duke Cunningham.)
Until recently, a fellow named Joe James was MZM’s number-two in charge of the center, the Martinsville (Va.) Daily reports. He recently stepped down “voluntarily.”
Now, the paper tells us that James’ wife — FEC records identify her as May James — worked at the Pentagon office which oversaw MZM’s contract. (MZM has since been renamed Athena Innovative Solutions.)
Last year, May James joined the staff of Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Stephen Cambone, which has authority over the FSAC, her husband’s outfit, the paper reports.
If you recall, MZM/Athena has a pattern of hiring relatives of Defense officials, apparently as a strategy to win — or keep — contracts. The company signed on the son of National Ground Intelligence Center manager Robert Fromm; months later they picked up an NGIC contract. (They eventually hired Fromm himself.)
MZM also hired William Rich III, the son of NGIC Chief William Rich, two months after receiving their first NGIC contract. As well, MZM employed the wife of Rich’s longtime chief of staff, Robert Canar, as a secretary.
