WASHINGTON, July 29 (UPI) -- Government officials were misled by Blackwater in order to obtain lucrative contracts, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said.
Waxman's charge followed the release of a report Monday by the Small Business Administration's inspector general, alleging that Blackwater Worldwide used affiliates to gain 39 contracts for which it might not have been eligible as a small business. The report also noted that Blackwater incorrectly classified 1,000 security personnel as independent contractors rather than employees, The Hill, a Washington newspaper, reported Tuesday.