FC: Homeland security gravy train, Patty Murray, and campaign $$$

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2003 18:35:29 -0700
From: james sanchez <seattleplatypus () worldnet att net>
Subject: Where this all this money come from? I don't remember...


(Maybe it should be called Homeland $ecurity... $52,000 and counting...
)


[abstract]

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Pfleger, Katherine. "Homeland Security Creates New Breed of
Contributors", in Seattle Times, June 22, 2003. pp. B1, B6.

Sen. Patty Murray has been cashing in on homeland security by collecting
large campaign contributions linked to measures she has supported for
homeland security. Murray pushed through $58 million in funding for
Operation Safe Commerce, a program to screen containers entering the US.
One beneficiary of the contract, California-based Savi Technology, in
turn donated $15000 to Murray's re-election campaign through a Bay area
fundraiser for Murray. The payment came one month after Murray held a
press conference to praise the firm.

Operation Safe Commerce will improve security associated with container
inflows at three ports: Los Angeles-Long Beach, New York-New Jersey, and
Seattle-Tacoma. However, the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) took nine months to determine who would receive funding under the
program: Murray's 7/2002 press conference criticized the agency for
delays even as she promoted Savi Technology; in 2/2003, Murray headlined
a media event at the Port of Seattle and again promoted Savi.

TSA contracts include a $3.4 million program by Science Applications
International to secure containers from Thailand to Tacoma for Canadian
Tire Ltd.; Savi Technology will be a key subcontractor in that program
($0.5-1.0 million). Savi is also competing for participation in 30 other
projects, through its dozens of partnerships with other firms and
existing operations in 15 ports, including the Port of Seattle.

After the 7/2003 event, Murray met with Savi CEO Vic Varna and board
member Alex Slusky, also a managing pattner at Vector Capital. Other
Savi board members and venture capitalists also attended the meeting. At
the meeting, Murray pocketed a $1000 check from Qualcomm, a technology
partner of Savi. (During the 2002 election cycle, Qualcomm provided
$25000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which Murray
headed.) Blair LaCorte, Savi EVP for business development, missed the
meeting but hastily passed a $1000 check to Murray.

Savi also hired McBee Strategic Consulting as a lobbyist: its CEO, Steve
McBee, is a former aide to Rep. Norm Dicks and Sen. Maria Cantwell.

Sen. Murray cannot remember anything about meetings with Savi or about
the checks she received from Savi and its representatives. Murray also
stated she could not recall the $25000 contribution by Qualcomm to the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

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