Cross Posted at Legal Schnauzer
A former Bush-administration official has turned up dead, his body found in a Delaware landfill, and police are calling it a homicide.
John P. Wheeler III, 66, had extensive experience with defense and foreign-policy issues. Wheeler's biography indicates he had particular expertise in the areas of aerospace, technology, and logistics.
The Delaware murder raises an eyebrow here at Legal Schnauzer for a couple of reasons: (1) We've written about the mysterious deaths of at least four Alabamians in the past year with connections to outgoing Republican Governor Bob Riley; (2) We've reported on the battle between Boeing and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) for a $35-billion Air Force tanker contract and noted its possible corrupting influence on Alabama politics.
It's too early to draw definitive connections between the Boeing/EADS battle, the Alabama deaths, and the Wheeler murder. But we do know this: If EADS wins the contract, the tanker planes will be built in Mobile, Alabama. Gov. Riley has played a prominent role in trying to secure the deal for his state, while U.S. Senators Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby have led the push in D.C.
According to recent press reports, the winner of the tanker contract is expected to be announced early in 2011. One Alabama report says EADS is in the lead, and the company has said it is moving forward with construction plans in Mobile. Just before Christmas, Gulf Coast political leaders claimed Boeing supporters were trying to "sabotage" the deal with 11th-hour maneuvering in Congress.
Where might John P. Wheeler have fit into all of this? His biography indicates he was the kind of person who might have had knowledge about issues surrounding the Boeing/EADS battle. He currently worked as a defense consultant and served as special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force from 2005 to 2008. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Wheeler had served on the Council of Foreign Relations and played a leading role in supporting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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