The Weekly Fix: Naval Officers Turn Pirate

The fix is in. The U.S. military and law enforcement communities are overwhelmingly comprised of heroes, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and safety. However, select individuals within these revered institutions have been taking advantage of the system in corrupt and ethically reprehensible ways.

According to the Washington Post, a corruption investigation exposed more than 60 admirals and hundreds of U.S. Navy officers in a bribery scandal involving a defense contractor named Leonard Glenn Francis. Up to 440 officers (not including the admirals) are under investigation for incidents dating back to the 1990’s.

In exchange for insider information, Francis bribed these sailors with extravagant parties, liquor, Cuban cigars, watches, and prostitutes. While the investigation continues, Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to “bribing ‘scores’ of Navy officials and defrauding the service of more than $35 million.”

Meanwhile, an FBI counterterrorism supervisor is being investigated for allowing an unidentified woman to steal his Glock 0.40 caliber handgun after a night of booze-infused partying during a training week in North Carolina. This follows the embarrassing December 2016 arrest of two FBI agents in Grand Rapids, MI, who drank and drove, carried a firearm while drunk, and fired shots at a local police officer.

It’s enough to make a taxpayer wonder, who is watching over the people responsible for watching over us?

It’s time to take a stand. The American people aren’t being heard by the government because the game is rigged. Washington isn’t broken. It’s “fixed.”