A few days later, Trump’s chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, was predicting war with China and the general knew his days as Secretary of Defense were numbered.
Jordan T. Denny, the newly confirmed Secretary of Defense, stared at the document in his hand, his body trembling as he read.
August 7, 2017
TO: The Honorable Jordan T. Denny, Secretary of Defense
FR: Adam Shariak, Under Secretary of Defense — Comptroller
Mr. Secretary of Defense:
In preparation for an extensive audit of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Years 2000 through 2016, I pulled the contracts and sub-contracts awarded to Kemp Aerospace during the period I served as managing director (August 2013 thru February 2017), as well as those projects grandfathered in by my predecessor, Dr. Brian Coker (December 1999 thru March 2011). The point of this exercise was to cross-check the Pentagon’s numbers against Kemp Aerospace’s account receivables, in order to verify the reliability of the DoD’s reporting system.
To my surprise, I could find no DoD records pertaining to the funding of nine (9) projects subcontracted to Kemp Aerospace through larger defense contractors during the sixteen years in question. In referencing Kemp’s receivables, I was able to identify the name(s) of the lead defense contractor(s) involved, and the amounts received by Kemp Aerospace. Based on these figures, I have estimated the aggregate value of these projects, all of which were clearly funded by the Department of Defense — despite the fact that no records pertaining to any of these transactions “officially” exists, either in the public record or inside the Pentagon. While I do not know the specific nature of these projects, I do know the individuals to subpoena to obtain this information.
Project Name / Amount Subcontracted to Kemp Aerospace / Estimated Project Budget
Royal Ops / $14.4 million / $75 million
Cosmic ops / $1.2 billion / $18 billion
Maj ops / $1.7 billion / $6 billion
Maji ops / $1.2 billion / $7.5 billion
Pahute Mesa MOC / $680,000 / $5 million
Sally Corridor MOC / $1.5 billion / $5.5 million
Groom Lake MOC / $3.8 billion / $18 billion
Dreamland MOC / $2 billion / $12 billion
Ground Star MOC / $27.5 million / $150 million
Private Corporate Entities involved:
BDM
Bechtel Corporation
Booz-Allen and Hamilton Inc.
The Boeing Company
EG&G
E-Systems
Lockheed Martin
McDonnell Douglas Corp.
MITRE Corp.
Northrop Grumman
Phillips Labs
Raytheon
SAIC — Science Applications
International Inc.
TRW
Village Supercomputing
Wackenhut Corporation
Military Bases Receiving Kemp Aerospace Goods and Services
Edwards Air Force Base and Related Facilities:
Government Facilities:
Edwards Air Force Base
Haystack Butte
China Lake
Table Mountain Observatory — NASA
Blackjack Control
Aerospace Facilities:
Northrop “Anthill”—Tejon Ranch
McDonnell Douglas — Llano Plant
Lockheed-Martin — Helendale Plant
Phillips Labs — North Edwards Facility
The Nellis Complex:
Area 51/S4, Pahute Mesa
Area 19, Groom Lake.
New Mexico Facilities:
Los Alamos National Laboratories
Kirtland Air Force Base
Sandia National Laboratories — SNL
Defense Nuclear Agency
Phillips Labs
Manzano Mountain Weapons Storage Facility and Underground Complex
Coyote Canyon Test Site (N. end of Manzano)
White Sands Complex
Arizona Facilities:
Fort Huachuca, underground storage facility, NSA and Army Intelligence complex near Fort Huachuca underground
Others:
Cheyenne Mountain Colorado Deep Space Network
Lawrence Livermore Labs
Pine Gap underground facility in Australia Majestic; U.S. and Australian Redstone Arsenal underground complex; Alabama
Utah underground complex southwest of Salt Lake City; accessible only by air.
Dugway Proving Grounds outside Provo, Utah; classified airspace
Conclusions:
Based on Kemp Aerospace’s share of Defense Appropriations during the years in question, I have estimated that $80 billion to upwards of $100 billion of taxpayer monies are being channeled annually into these USAPs (Unacknowledged Special Access Projects). Because they are being funded without the knowledge, consent, or oversight of the U.S. government, they have been operating illegally and unconstitutionally, and are in direct violation of the RICO Act.
Recommendations:
As Under Secretary of Defense — Comptroller, I am moving forward with an immediate investigation into these matters. I am also recommending inquiries into these Unacknowledged Special Access Projects, as well as the facilities, agencies and entities listed above, by Senator Randy Hall, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Thank you for your assistance in this important matter.
Adam Shariak
Adam Shariak
Under Secretary of Defense — Comptroller
Jordan Denny reread the document twice and then massaged his eyes, as if not believing his Under Secretary was starting his week like this. After a few moments, he returned to the list of project names. “Mr. Under Secretary, which defense contractor subcontracted services to Kemp Aerospace in regard to this first project, cited here as ‘Royal Ops?’ ”
“Sir, I believe that was SAIC.”
Jordan Denny reached across his desk for his phone, hitting the intercom. “Angela, get me Barry Zuckerman over at SAIC.”
“Yes, sir.”
He scanned down to the next name on the list. “What about ‘Cosmic Ops?’ ”
“That was Lockheed. You’ll want to speak to Edward Canup, Jr.; he’s stationed out at Edwards Air Force Base.”
The intercom beeped. “Sir, I have Barry Zuckerman on line one.”
“Thank you, Angela.” He pressed the blinking key. “Barry, Jordan Denny. I’m with Under Secretary Adam Shariak and you’re on speaker.”
“Gentlemen. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Project Royal Ops — read me in on it, please.”
A moment of silence… followed by: “I’m sorry, Jordan. I can’t do that.”
Jordan Denny snatched up the receiver. “Barry, in case you forgot, I’m the goddam Secretary of Defense. Now read me in on Project Royal Ops.”
Adam watched as his boss’s face flushed red.
“What do you mean I don’t have a need to know? If I’m asking you about… hello? Hello?”
Adam winced as the Secretary slammed the receiver on the hook.
“Can you believe the son of a bitch hung up on me?” He pressed the intercom button again. “Angela, get me Edward… sorry?”
“Canup.”