“FAT-CAT” GENERAL PLEADS GUILTY
TO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
RETIRED AIR FORCE RESERVE ONE-STAR
ADMITS ROLE IN KICKBACK SCHEME
COULD GET “JAIL-TIME”

Will wonders never cease? Pigs DO “fly.” At least in California, where an Air Force Reserve brigadier general has pled guilty to obstruction of justice in a kickback scheme.

How many times, dear reader, have you heard about ANY “flag officer” being punished for ANYTHING? Right. Almost never.

Oh, once in a great while. Like when a certain investigative reporter MCC knows and loves well “drops a dime” to TIME Magazine and a lothario Army general gets nailed – three-page article – for “poaching” on his junior officers’ wives.

The Pentagon couldn’t ignore THAT one! Better to strip him of a “star” and send him off into retirement in disgrace, than have a “public relations disaster” being exposed trying to “protect” such a “bad boy.”

In the case of Brig. Gen. Robert Leigh Tate of Irvine, Calif., the USAR “brass hat” admitted in federal court he received payments from a hotel manager for information on students scheduled to attend events at the U.S. Defense Systems Management College – a facility that trains personnel how to acquire weapons systems.

And WHO, might you ask, was the head of this institution? You got it – Gen. Tate.

He acknowledged to investigators that he received $4,000 from the hotel manager. But Tate still maintains it was NOT in exchange for the list of student attendees. Sure.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Tate “attempted to obstruct an investigation into allegations he was receiving kickbacks from Department of Defense contractors.”

The Feds also announced their investigation centered on allegations of payments made by hotel operators in the Los Angeles area who paid Tate in exchange for information on students scheduled to attend upcoming events at the college.
Gen. Tate reached his plea agreement with prosecutors just hours before his trial was set to begin in federal court. The general could get up to a year in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 18.