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USAID Official, Three Corporate Executives Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Bribery Scheme Involving Over $550 Million in Contracts: DOJ

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2 months ago

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A USAID official and three government contractors pleaded guilty to a decade-long bribery scheme involving over $550 million in contracts, according to the Justice Department.

According to court documents, beginning in 2013, USAID official Roderick Wilson agreed with corporate executive Darryl Britt to receive bribes in exchange for Watson’s influence to award contracts to a small business named Apprio and its subcontractor Vistant.

Watson received more than $1 million in bribes to steer no-bid contracts to Apprio and Vistant.

A race-based government program that allowed ‘socially and economically disadvantaged businesses’ to bid on contracts made this massive scheme possible.

“As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process,” the DOJ said.

Per the DOJ:

Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth over $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars.

  • Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official;
  • Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, who was the owner and president of PM Consulting Group LLC doing business as Vistant (Vistant), a certified small business under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud;
  • Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, who was the owner and president of Apprio, Inc. (Apprio), a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and
  • Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, who was the president of a subcontractor to Vistant and Apprio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official.

“The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process. Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID. Those who engage in bribery schemes to exploit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s vital economic programs for small businesses — whether individuals or corporations acting through them — will be held to account.”

“Watson was entrusted to serve the interests of the American people — not his own — and his criminal actions for his own personal gain undermine the integrity of our public institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Public trust is a hallmark of our nation’s values, so corruption within a federal government agency is intolerable. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption at every level to ensure accountability and protect public trust.”

The post USAID Official, Three Corporate Executives Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Bribery Scheme Involving Over $550 Million in Contracts: DOJ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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DEVELOPING: FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop for United Airlines Flights at Several Airports Due to ‘Technology Issue’

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18 hours ago

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August 7, 2025

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The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday issued a nationwide ground stop for United Airlines flights at several airports due to a ‘technology issue.’

“The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday it issued a ground stop for United Airlines (UAL.O), flights at several U.S. airports while the company itself said its teams were working to resolve a tech outage as soon as possible,” Reuters reported.

‘Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline flights at their departure airports. We expect additional flight delays this evening as we work through this issue. Safety is our top priority, and we’ll work with our customers to get them to their destinations,’ United Airlines said in a statement to The Daily Mail.

CBS News reported:

There is a ground stop for United Airlines flights at Chicago O’Hare Airport Wednesday evening.

United said in a statement that a “technology issue” is causing them to hold departures.

“We expect additional flight delays this evening as we work through this issue. Safety is our top priority, and we’ll work with our customers to get them to their destinations,” the statement continued.

The technical issues are also impacting airports in Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Newark.

Video taken by a passenger at O’Hare shows a line of United planes stopped on the tarmac that have recently landed, waiting because no gates are available.

DEVELOPING…

The post DEVELOPING: FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop for United Airlines Flights at Several Airports Due to ‘Technology Issue’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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“I Defied My Government For Love” – State Department Official Dated Senior CCP Leader’s Daughter, Admits “She Could Have Been a Spy” – But Didn’t Report Her (VIDEO)

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19 hours ago

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August 7, 2025

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The O’Keefe Media Group on Wednesday released undercover video of Daniel Choi, a US State Department Foreign Service Officer who admitted he dated a senior CCP leader’s daughter and refused to report her.

“I defied my government for love,” Daniel Choi said of his romantic relationship with 27-year-old Joi Zao.

Joi Zao entered the US on a work visa in September 2024.

“Her dad was either a provincial or a federal minister of education. So he’s, like, straight up Communist Party,” Choi said.

“Under federal regulations, Foreign Service Officers are required to report close and continuing contact with foreign nationals from adversarial nations, including China,” the O’Keefe Media Group reported.

Choi admitted he didn’t report her: “I was supposed to, whatever, sort of report what I knew about her, but I always thought that was kind of unfair.”

WATCH:

The State Department responded to the O’Keefe Media Group’s undercover video exposing Choi.

“The incident is under investigation. The Department has zero tolerance for individuals who jeopardize national security by putting their personal interests ahead of our great nation,” the State Department said in a statement.

Later Wednesday, Daniel Choi deleted his LinkedIn profile after OMG’s undercover video exposing his relationship with the a CCP leader’s daughter.

The post “I Defied My Government For Love” – State Department Official Dated Senior CCP Leader’s Daughter, Admits “She Could Have Been a Spy” – But Didn’t Report Her (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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U.S. Closes its Embassy in Haiti Amid Escalating Violence: The Armed Gangs Crisis and Trump’s Policy to Confront It

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19 hours ago

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August 7, 2025

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This is a Gateway Hispanic article.

The post U.S. Closes its Embassy in Haiti Amid Escalating Violence: The Armed Gangs Crisis and Trump’s Policy to Confront It appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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