Re: A morals question?

[willett@cbnewsl.att.com (david.c.willett)]

In article <"910520033903.71660.412.CHE77-1"@CompuServe.COM>, 71660.412@CompuServe.COM (Eric C Aker) writes:
> If I worked for a DoD contractor (which I don't) and that contractor
> had a DoD contract (which it doesn't) to do software development (which
> it doesn't)... enough disclaimers.....
> 
> If the hypothetical contractor got a waiver to do the development work
> in C and not Ada, even though there is a validated compiler available, 
> and the waiver was gotten on honest but not totally honest terms then
> what can I do.
> 

[Intermediate extraneous details deleted] 


> Disclaimer.
> Only a hypothetical case as there is no DoD contractor that I know of
> that would even for one minute think of trying to avoid the Ada mandate
> by getting a waiver for anything other than a very valid reason.
> 
> How does a person not get fired after making a claim against such a
> hypothetical company doing such a hypothetical thing?
> 
> 
> 

Forgive me, but this post remindes me of the person who walks into the
psychiatrist's office and says, "You see doctor, I have this friend ...".

But on to the points you raised.  The question is interesting but impossible
(for me) to answer because you don't include enough information.  Did you
prepare the application for the waiver?  Do you know that the contractor 
misrepresented the facts?

My own opinion is that if you have no *direct* knowledge of misrepresentation,
you should do nothing.  If you have a good faith belief that the contractor
is evading the law with malicious intent, you should blow the whistle to 
the enforcment branch of the agency/service letting the contract.  Such
people would be folk like the Defense Investigative Service (DIS) or 
the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), etc.  If all else fails, I would
call the FBI.

Now for my disclaimer:
			These are my own opinions and in no way reflect
			those of my employer or anyone else.  I am not
			a lawyer, just a humble software engineer.

		David C. Willett
		AT&T Federal Systems