U.S. Navy Releases Censures Issued to Three Admirals in Bribery Scandal

The U.S. Navy has released the censures that were issued to Admirals Miller (l), Kraft (c), and Pimpo (r) [Image: US Navy]

The U.S. Navy has released the censures that were issued to three admirals - Michael Miller, Terry Kraft, and David Pimpo - in January for their connection to a bribery scandal involving Singapore's Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) and its owner Leonard Glenn Francis, Reuters reports.

The released censures, which came in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from the San Diego Union Tribune, are the latest developments in the bribery investigation.

Francis, who is said to be cooperating with U.S. federal investigators, has reportedly admitted to providing cash, electronics, luxury travel and accommodations, and prostitutes for U.S. Navy personnel in exchange for business, information on ship movements and investigations into his company, and other classified information.

According to the censure letters, Pimpo retained free luxury hotel rooms for two weeks in 2007 for "senior carrier Strike Group Seven leadership."

In addition, as already admitted by Pimpo, in 2007 he solicited luxury travel from Francis, and paid $50 each for two dinner parties at Singapore restaurants that should have cost almost $24,000.

Miller attended some of the 2007 dinner parties and then provided a recommendation for GDMA as a "superior contractor to its competitors."

Kraft also attended dinner parties and afterward provided a report the GDMA "is the best in the world and is unrivaled in the delivery of customer service."

Miller and Kraft have retired as admirals, while Pimpo retired at the demoted rank of captain on July 1, 2015.

Currently, seven people have pleaded guilty in the scandal, including Francis, two GDMA employees, and four U.S. Navy officers.

Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz has reportedly pled innocent to charges of conspiracy and bribery in the case, leading federal prosecutors to announce that they were looking at about 200 people as potential defendants and witnesses in his prosecution.

In April, Lieutenant Commander Todd Malaki admitted to one count of supplying information to Francis, including classified Navy schedules and information about competitors.