Washington Navy Yard (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
(CNSNews.com) – A DoD official told the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday that about 50 convicted felons were given access to Navy installations without the proper checks, and no one has been held accountable.
A Sept. 16, 2013 DoD inspector general’s report, which was released the same day as the Navy Yard shooting, found that the Navy Commercial Access Control System (NCACS) “did not effectively mitigate access control risks associated with contractor installation access” because Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNJC) officials tried to “reduce access control costs.”
"As a result, 52 convicted felons received routine, unauthorized installation access, placing military personnel, dependents, civilians, and installations at an increased security risk,” the report said.
The IG report found that the convicted felons received “routine, unauthorized access to Navy installations for 62 to 1,035 days since Eid Passport's initial public record checks did not identify the felony convictions. This placed military personnel, dependents, civilians, and installations at an increased security risk.”
On Sept. 16, 2013, 12 people were killed when 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, a contractor from Fort Worth, Texas, opened fire on workers at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. Alexis then turned the gun on himself. Alexis’ employer – a company called The Experts – was aware of Alexis’ mental instability but failed to report it, Stephen Lewis, deputy director for personnel, industrial and physical security policy, testified Thursday.
In addition to Alexis’ mental illness, Lewis was questioned about the vetting process of contractors who were allowed access to military installations.
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) asked Lewis, “My subcommittee has learned that we’ve had a bunch of felons on Navy installations. We have learned that the Navy was giving these contractors 28 temporary passes at the get-go without any checks on anybody. Is that true?”
“This was the subject of a DoD IG report, and the Navy has looked into these specific circumstances,” Lewis said. “There were about 50 people identified who were convicted felons who were given access without the proper checks, and the Navy has taken corrective action, removing individuals who do not warrant access from the installation.
“In other instances, given the date that some of the felony convictions were quite old, made a decision to allow them to continue to have access, but the fundamental issue is there was a failure to conduct the required checks for installation access, and the Navy has taken corrective action on that,” Lewis added.
Although Lewis said the process has since been corrected, he could not say whether the same thing was happening with other branches of the military. He also admitted that no one has been held accountable for it and the investigation into the matter is “ongoing.”
“Just one follow-up, just for information. Whoever made the decision to allow that to happen, to go around? Were there any consequences to that individual that actually made the decision?” Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) asked Lewis.
“There is an ongoing Navy review of what occurred at the Navy Yard that day to include all of the aspects that went into that, and that’s an ongoing review,” Lewis replied.
Lewis said there will be an “OMB final review of our overarching security practices,” and Lewis expects to be part of that review.
Replies
Will we ever see or hear the final review, National and Military industries and bases are for Out-side attacks..!!
What is wrong with our DoD allowing convicted felons in giving them access to Navy installations? The Senate Homeland Security Committee knew about this, WHY DIDN'T THEY CORRECT THAT PROBLEM AT THAT TIME??? Like usual, NO ONE WAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE, and nothing has changed. We are the victims, that's what they want. Remember why we have a Homeland Security...it was because of 911, when the Twin Towers and the Pentagon were shot down by the Terriorist. Our lives as U.S. citizens has been changed dramatically since that day. Because of this act of terriorism, WE HAVE LOST MANY OF OUR FREEDOMS. Homeland Security was set up to keep us SAFE, but are they doing that? No, they are not. Our FREEDOMS are being chipped away daily, and here we sit on our butts allowing them to continue to take our FREEDOMS AWAY FROM US. I DO NOT LIKE MY FREEDOMS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. Do You???? They are allowing terriorists and illlegals to come in to the U.S.A through the borders. Do you feel protected when the government is taking away your freedom to have a weapon of protection? The police can only protect a small portion of the people. If a burgler comes into your house and he has a weapon, what are you going to do? Especially if you do not have a weapon to protect yourself and your family? Do you think the cops can get to your home before the burgler kills you and your family? The odds are in favor of the burgler, not you. Just like the Navy Yard incident, that person should have not been allowed to enter the Navy Yard with his many weapons of destruction. If there had been security with guns in hand, there may have not been that many killings. Homeland Security is not doing their job correctly. Do you still think there is nothing wrong???
Ever notice that our government, who pays excess amounts for everything, always complains that the government never has enough money. Why can't they work within their budgets? We have to work within our budgets and we do not have the excess money that our government takes in every year. We, as the citizens of our nation, have got to learn not to allow them to take advantage of us. We have given them certain rights and felt that they were keeping us safe. Now we know that the government has their own agenda, and it is not to our advantage. They now are going against us. We must look back into the past and learn from it. This is what happened to Germany. Are we going to allow this to happen to the United States of America? WAKE UP. We are falling into the same rut like Germany did. Only difference is that our government officials are turning us against each other by race, religion, disabilities and other differences that we have. Our nation is a melting pot of people, we pride ourselves on respect and equality. If we start turning on each other because of our differences, we as a nation will know longer exist. Obama and the elected officials are using: DIVIDE AND CONQUER. We all have problems and shortfalls, this includes our government officials. Let's use that same thought to win our war against them. WE MUST JOIN TOGETHER, NO MATTER WHAT OUR DIFFERENCES ARE. Otherwise we will be defeated, is that what you want?
They always justify their money problems. Maybe we need to hire experts (outside auditors and bookkeepers) to reassure us that they are using the taxpayers money properly and not using the money just for their agendas. No matter how much money is coming into the government, there just isn't enough according to our elected Congress and President. I am sure you noticed that there isn't and hasn't been a balanced budget in years. They figure the taxpayers will just have to pay more taxes, so they continually create new tax bills and more fees to bring in more money, so they can waste it on whatever they want. That isn't how the government is suppose to work. It was set up on a checks and balance system. But unfortunately that system is no longer working. Know one in the government is checking on each other. The three Branches were set up as a checks and balance system and to make sure that our government was proportioned equally in power. Since the Judicial system, the Congress, and the President all are in kahoots with each other, we the voting power must make a decision on how to remove them or just allow them to continue to ruin our nation. We are the taxpayers, we pay their wages and it's up to us to take control of our government.
We definately need experienced workers that know their jobs, people we can trust in Office and a Homeland Security System that protects not only our Military, but the American citizen. Maybe all the people that hold elected Offices, appointed and hired by our elected Officials need to be replaced by experienced, knowledgable, respected and trustworthy individuals with a high caliber of background checks to make sure they are right for their office or job. This is where all the mistakes occur and we, the American citizen must make sure we do not make the same mistake in our judgement. Our protection for the public safety is needed and must be secured.
Your are correct. So many government agencies set up to protect us in one way or another. Homeland Security is a joke! If the government would get ride of over HALF of the wasteful and useless agencies like Homeland Security, and maybe I am naive, but I don't think we would have the deficit problem we have now. Many of the agencies the government has set up...are duplicates of another agency that couldn't handle it.......so "let's make up another money sucking agency to help this other money sucking agency. And let's make the tax payers pay for it".
If security is the issue, why weren't returning veterans given the chance to apply for the positions?????
we the people,who are the real government.this is all part of ovomit/satans agenda to put key muslums in key postions in his adminstration,and to dismantle any road blocks to his treasonous agenda21 plan,just research and see who ovomit has put in key positions to destroy and dismantle the constitituion.he is setting up agenda21,and they leave one govt job,and they relocate them into another govt job or affiliate.had enough join with larry klayman from judical watch in washington dc,on tuesday nov19,2013.to wayne-nra,amac/john birch society/all militias/bikers/truckers,all american veternas/citizens.to glenn,rush,alex,savage,thrump join us,we have the talking part well covered,now lets get the walking part well covered.forget any help from mr politicians,there all in on it,with a very few exceptions.god bless america