3 members of Congress seek probe of DHB official

3 members of Congress seek probe of DHB official

April 22nd, 2003

Miami Herald

Three U.S. representatives last week requested that the Defense Logistics Agency and the Army Material Command investigate whether a potential procurement conflict exists at Point Blank Body Armor and parent company DHB Industries (DHB).

DHB hired Edward Lavigne, a former Army official, as a vice president of its NDL Products subsidiary -- and sister company to Point Blank -- in 2001. Lavigne administered DHB's contracts to produce protective vests, known as the Inceptor, while with the Army in Natick, Mass, according to the representatives' letters. Point Blank assembles the vests at its plants in Oakland Park and Deerfield Beach.

The representatives expressed concern that DHB may be in violation of the Procurement Integrity Act, which prohibits contracting officers from going to work for companies whose contracts they oversaw in the previous 12 months.

DHB officials couldn't be reached for comment. The letters were signed by Reps. Alcee Hastings of Miramar, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii.