$3M whistleblower settlement in CIA kickback case

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A trio of CIA contractors has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a whistleblower case accusing the companies of plying CIA employees with gifts to win contracts.

The settlement was announced Thursday by federal prosecutors in Alexandria.

According to court records, the contractors — American Systems Corp., Anixter International Inc., and Corning Cable Systems LLC — bid for work to do the cabling and wiring of CIA facilities. The lawsuit accused of the companies of supplying CIA workers with trips to Mexico and Myrtle Beach, chartered fishing excursions and tickets to Redskins, Red Sox and Cubs games in violation of federal law.

The suit was first brought by a whistleblower, former Anixter sales representative William Jones of Arlington. Under the whistleblower law, Jones receives $585,000 for exposing the fraud.