Improper Pressure on Thunderbirds Contract Selection

Defense News reports on five Air Force officials, including the vice director of the Joint Staff, being disciplined after a Jan. 30 IG report implicated them in a 2005 attempt to steer a five-year, $49.9 million contract to produce multimedia presentations for Thunderbirds air shows. In accordance with Privacy Act rules on disclosure of senior employees, the 250-page report redacts the names of four junior members, but released the name of the senior official involved, Air Force Maj. Gen. Stephen Goldfein.

In one point that could be used in instruction, while Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley was not disciplined, he was placed in the awkward situation of having to defend himself against an appearance of impropriety, due to social engagements between him and partners in the company before, during and after the contract competition:

In an interview with Air Force Times, Moseley said he did not discuss the project with Shipley or Hornburg in e-mails and discussions during the selection process.

"I know where those boundaries are and never crossed any of those ethical or contracting boundary lines," Moseley said. "There was a definite boundary of not talking about that stuff. ... It was never brought up."