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Firm Hired by Navy to Sway Vieques Vote |
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by JOHN J. LUMPKIN Guardian Unlimited Entered into the database on Saturday, July 23rd, 2005 @ 18:33:01 MST |
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Navy hired a communications firm for $1.6 million in 2001
in an apparent attempt to influence the outcome of a vote on whether part of the
Puerto Rican island of Vieques would continue to serve as a bombing range, according
to documents obtained by a watchdog group. Judicial Watch obtained the material under the Freedom of Information Act and
provided them to The Associated Press. According to the documents, the Navy's Fleet and Industrial Supply Center in
Norfolk, Va., initially contracted with the Rendon Group of Washington for advice
on ``dissemination of accurate information'' regarding the referendum of Vieques
residents on whether to keep part of the island as a training range. It later modified the contract to have Rendon ``conduct public outreach to
build grassroots support'' for Navy training during vote. The contract value
also went from an initial value of $200,000 to $1.6 million after two modifications.
According to the second modification, Rendon was to ``develop methods and tracking
procedures to increase support among citizens in Vieques to support and vote
in the 6 November 2001 referendum for the option of continued Navy training
at Vieques.'' The documents did not make clear what work Rendon did. Christopher J. Farrell, director of investigations and research for the Washington-based
Judicial Watch, questioned whether such activity was legal for the military.
``They were directly attempting to influence the outcome of this election,''
Farrell said. Navy officials, contacted Friday evening, declined to comment, saying they
had not had enough time to research the matter or to reach appropriate military
offices before they closed for the weekend. According to the modification, Rendon was to identify supporters of the Navy,
``organize local leaders to build grassroots communications support for continued
Navy training activities,'' and ensure they could exercise their rights of freedom
of expression and assembly. The referendum never took place. It was delayed until January 2002, then scrapped
by Congress after President Bush said the Navy would stop conducting bombing
practice on the island. The range closed in 2003. A telephone call to Rendon was not returned late Friday. The Navy had used Vieques as its main Atlantic Coast training range for more
than 50 years, but long-simmering protests grew in the U.S. Caribbean territory
in 1999 when an off-target bomb killed a civilian guard on the firing range.
Opponents contended that the bombing harmed the environment and the health
of Vieques' 9,100 residents. The Navy said it needed the range to train its sailors to defend the country.
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