The one-time head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President George W. Bush is now a board member of BAE Systems, the United Kingdom-based defense corporation that agreed to pay $447 million in fines to the American and British governments to settle allegations of corruption, including bribing a top Saudi Arabian official.

 

BAE is the eighth-largest contractor doing business with Washington, having received $7.1 billion in government contracts in 2009 alone. It also has received more than $200 million from DHS since 2005.

 

Following the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day, Chertoff was seen on television calling for the government to buy full-body scanners for airport checkpoints. Chertoff failed to mention in numerous interviews that his consulting business represented the company, Rapiscan Systems, that makes the scanners.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Chertoff Joins BAE, Defense Contractor Recently Embroiled In Bribery Scandal (by Dan Froomkin, Huffington Post)

Secretary Michael Chertoff Joins BAE Systems, Inc. Board of Directors (BAE Systems press release)

Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $400 Million Criminal Fine (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Chertoff Exploits Detroit Plane Bomb to Stir up Business for Client (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)