![\"Loving](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Loving-Riedel-500x232.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nBobo and Mick send us links to the story of Navy Captain Jeff Riedel who was lured into a “honey pot” operation conducted by an Austral USA executive, President Joe Rella, in order to influence Riedel’s decisions upon his inspection of the shipbuilding company in regards to the littoral combat ship the USS Coronado. The plot was right out of an 80’s spy novel and it involved Reidel being seduced by an Austral USA administrative assistant, Elizabeth Loving, according to the Virginian-Pilot<\/a>;<\/p>\n Loving said her orders were clear: She needed risque photographs with Riedel so the company president could use them as leverage over the officer who oversaw acquisition for the troubled littoral combat ship program, which Austal had been awarded a $3.5 billion contract to build in 2010.<\/p>\n […]<\/p>\n \u201cIn my mind, after the fact, looking back at this \u2026 I know I made a huge mistake,\u201d Riedel told a Navy investigator. \u201cIt was \u2013 it\u2019s quite obvious to me that she was trying to lead me on, to take it to another level.\u201d<\/p>\n The report from the Naval Sea Systems Command inspector general says Loving was able to learn Riedel thought poorly of Austal\u2019s executives, but it says there\u2019s no indication the captain used his position to influence contract decisions during their brief relationship. Riedel retired from the Navy in 2013.<\/p>\n The Navy report also notes there was no evidence \u2013 no emails or other documentation \u2013 to back up Loving\u2019s accusations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Riedel claims that nothing happened between the two, but that didn’t stop him from losing his job. I’m sure that sailors are more confident in their vessels after reading this story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"