This week, Judge Reed O’Connor of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas denied Integrated Coast Guard Systems’ (a joint venture of Lockheed Martin’s and Northrup Grumman) motion to dismiss former Lockheed engineer Michael DeKort’s qui tam suit over alleged waste, fraud, abuse, safety, and national security issues in the implementation of the $26 billion Deepwater acquisition program. Judge O’Connor also ordered the parties to pursue mediation and to be ready to try the case in Novemebr 2010 if settlement is unsuccessful. Read a brief synopisis of the case and an imbedded copy of the Complaint in an earlier FraudBlawg post.

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