Congressman Bill Young Blindsided Over Defense Contractor Raid

Lawmaker caught off-guard by Conax investigation

The chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Bill Young says the veteran politician from Indian Rocks was completely blindsided last week when criminal investigators from six federal agencies raided a defense contractor he had helped a number of times in recent years.

Wednesday, the agents served a federal search warrant at the St. Petersburg offices of Cobham Life Support Systems, which is also known as Conax.

Harry Glenn, Young's chief of staff and press spokesman, said the congressman has helped the company secure a number of earmarks for federal funding for research and development of defense-related life safety products.

"Everyone always seemed happy with the work they were doing," Glenn said.

As it turns out, not exactly everyone.

According to the search warrant, teams of federal agents showed up last week looking for defective components and records relating to the MA-16 restraint system that protects pilots and air crews in crashes. They were also looking for records relating to the so-called SEAWARS and UWARS systems that help save downed pilots from drowning when they ditch aircraft in water.

Database records for government contracts show that the St. Petersburg operation obtained more than $113 million worth of defense work between 2000 and 2008.

Thursday, Glenn says Young withdrew his committee request for his latest earmark for Conax which, by coincidence, was due for budget purposes the day after federal agents raided the company.

Glenn says Young remains largely in the dark about why federal investigators have so many questions about the quality and origin of the parts Conax uses for its products.

Glenn said Young isn't pressing anyone for answers because he doesn't want to meddle with the federal investigation.

Conax employees have made individual contributions to U.S. Rep. Bill Young's campaign from 2006 to 2008 totaling over $6000. According to data from the Department of Defense Government Contractor website, Conax has been awarded 288 government defense contracts  from 2000 through 2008 totaling over &113.5 million. Conax's  defense industry classification is Testing Laboratories. According to government data, for 2000 through 2008, St. Petersburg Florida is home to 181 defense contractors and 2,749 defense contracts, totaling $3.2 billion, have been awarded, throughout that period, to St. Petersburg defense contractors..

Rep. Bill Young is a Republican, serving Florida's 10th Congressional District and  has been a member of the U.S. congress since 1971.  He's now serving his 20th congressional term and is currently the longest serving member of the U.S. Congress. His district is located about fifteen miles west of MacDill Air Force Base home of the U.S. Central Command.