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U.S. Army Awards $80M In Helicopter Contracts To Mesa Company

The U.S. Army has awarded $80 million in helicopter contracts to the owner of a Mesa company, even as the Justice Department investigates whether she played by the rules to win earlier military contracts.

The contracts were awarded to MD Helicopters between mid-September and Oct. 1. Under them the company would build a dozen helicopters for the Afghan Air Force. A second contract covers installation of weapons on the choppers and five more helicopters.

The contracts were awarded to Wall Street executive Lynn Tilton, founder of the private equity firm Patriarch Partners, which owns MD Helicopters and dozens of other companies. 

The investigation is reportedly centered on Tilton’s hiring of a former Army officer to allegedly steer the contracts to MD Helicopters while he negotiated his future employment with the company.

A spokeswoman for MD Helicopters said it understands neither it nor Patriarch Partners are the targets of any criminal investigation. The Justice and Defense Departments declined comment on the story.

Dennis Lambert was a morning host at KJZZ.