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McCaskill: Report Shows PR Contracts Need More Scrutiny(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 -- The office of Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today reaffirmed the need to hold a hearing to investigate the federal government's use of pricey public relations contracts following the release of an independent audit memo citing serious problems with a contract related to the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, MO. McCaskill announced recently that the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight will hold a hearing on this issue on March 1, 2011, and said today that the hearing is more needed than ever in light of the findings by a government watchdog. "This raises serious concerns, and confirms that there needs to be more scrutiny on these public relations contracts," McCaskill said. "I'm looking forward to the upcoming hearing so we can hear directly from those involved with this decision." Read a copy of the audit memo here.http://mccaskill.senate.gov/files/documents/pdf/2011-02-18JMAAuditMemorandum.pdf The General Services Administration (GSA) awarded a $234,000 sole-source contract to Jane Mobley Associates, Inc., a Kansas City public relations firm, to help the agency respond to accusations of contamination at the Bannister Federal Complex. At the request of McCaskill, the GSA Inspector General began investigating the contract late last year. McCaskill hopes to learn more about the decisions that led to this contract at the hearing next week. McCaskill has invited officials from both the GSA and the Inspector General's office to testify at the hearing. An initial IG report last fall exposing these concerns found significant problems at the facility, including evidence that the government agency ignored indications of environmental contamination. Through this hearing, McCaskill hopes to determine how widespread crisis communication contracts are in the federal government, as well as the extent and cost of these types of contracts. Read copies of the witnesses' invitations to testify here.http://mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=subcommittee_on_contracting_oversight_entry&id=1189 TNS MJ88-110225-3256683 StaffFurigay (c) 2011 Targeted News Service |