WASHINGTON, D.C. – TrueMajority.org, a project of USAction, today announced a joint online and call-in campaign aimed at pressuring public retirement systems across the country to divest their holdings from KBR.
KBR, the former Halliburton subsidiary and largest contractor in Iraq, has faced scrutiny recently because of allegations its employees took part in a massacre of Iraqi civilians, engaged in no bid contracts, hid money in offshore tax havens and took part in unethical war profiteering.
More than 21,000 Americans have signed a TrueMajority.org petition calling on KBR to be held accountable for its behavior. These petitions will be delivered to the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalPERS) when its board convenes in June. In addition, hundreds of TrueMajority.org members today called CalPERS, asking the system to divest its holdings in KBR. Other large KBR shareholders include Colorado Public Employees, New York State Teachers Retirement System, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and Texas Teacher Retirement System.
“Investing public pension funds in a company accused of massive fraud and war profiteering isn’t good economics and it’s not good for America,” said Matt Holland, TrueMajority.org online director. “As the largest contractor in Iraq, KBR has failed to pay hundreds of millions in taxes through offshore tax havens, and past employees have testified of massive fraud which is costing the American people billions of dollars. Public pension funds should not be used to shore up unethical, irresponsible and immoral behavior.”
Just last month, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) held a hearing on the alleged rapes by U.S. contractors in Iraq and the lack of federal prosecutions. Dawn Leamon, who worked for KBR in Iraq and has two sons who served as soldiers, is the latest victim of sexual assault to come forward. Leamon that she was “unaware of any measures to date taken against the KBR employee or the member of the U.S. military who attacked me.”
USAction and TrueMajority.org build power by uniting people locally and nationally, on-the-ground and online, to win a more just and progressive America. We create the nation's leading progressive coalitions, making democracy work by organizing issue and election campaigns to improve people's lives. Members of the media who wish to interview TrueMajority.org Online Director Matt Holland should contact David Elliot at (202) 263-4567.
