Report: Sex determined army Iraq contracts

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A former employee of a Tennessee defense company is accused of sleeping with an Air Force contracting officer to secure Iraq contracts.

Eric W. Barton, who worked for EOD Technology Inc., which won at least $2.5 million in Iraq contracts, is accused of having a six-month relationship with Air Force Capt. Sherrie Remington, who at the time was in charge of awarding some contracts for work in Iraq, The San Antonio (Texas) Express-News reported Sunday.

A report by the U.S. Army urges the company be debarred, which means the company -- which has been escorting military supply convoys in Iraq -- would not be allowed to get any more government contracts, the newspaper said.

From 2005 through spring 2006, when the affair was allegedly taking place, the company's contracts increased from $3.8 million to $106 million.

Though Barton is no longer an employee, the report says his actions call the company's oversight procedures into question. EOD officials, however, said the company has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing and is cooperating with investigators.

The case is one of more than 70 criminal investigations into U.S. military spending in Iraq, the newspaper said.