Justice Department sues Dick Cheney’s former company over Iraq bills

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The U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday it sued the Houston-based military contractor (Halliburton) KBR Inc for alleged false claims act violations over improper costs for private security in Iraq.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleged that KBR knowingly included impermissible costs for private armed security in billings to the U.S. Army covering the 2003-2006 time period, the department said.

KBR has been the U.S. military's largest private contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan.

KBR, a former unit of Halliburton Co., has faced accusations from lawmakers that it inflated the costs of the services it provided the U.S. military in Iraq.

In a separate case last year, KBR pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $579 million to settle charges of bribing foreign officials. Halliburton spun off KBR in 2006.

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