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were filed under the False Claims Act guiding whistleblower rules (see side box), it’s impossible to gauge how exactly the ties of businesses to Custer Battles are being alleged, never mind proven.
The gist right now is this: Combs says he’s innocent and that no tie exists between his company and Custer Battles, or with his company and any entities aligned with Custer Battles. And unless the Department of Justice finds cause to go forth with the case, the documents alleging the tie will remain sealed, as stipulated by the terms of whistleblower suits.
A request for further information left on Hastings’ voice mail at the AP New York bureau was not returned.
But in a lengthy interview on Friday, Combs characterized the situation — which leaves him in the position of trying to prove a negative — as grossly unfair.
Combs and
colleagues speak
“They didn’t even get my title right,” Combs said, referring to the AP and other reports that cited his former position as an acting undersecretary.
“I was a special assistant to the secretary,” he said. “That tells you something ... if they can’t even get that right.”
In a personal interview on Friday that included the participation of two other Windmill International officials - Christopher Johnson, director and general counsel, and Peter Majeranowski, director and chief operating officer - Combs expressed dissatisfaction with the level of media due process that had resulted from the APs initial report.
“We’re complete victims,” he said. “We’re victims of (the press) having bad information.”
According to his side, put forth by all three, Windmill did express initial interest in joining business forces with Custer Battles in November 2003 - a time when the now-tainted firm was touted in the press as “very positive,” with military veteran
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