NASA OIG Report: Advisory Committee and LightSquared

Report of Investigation into Allegations that Members of a NASA-Supervised Advisory Committee Violated Federal Conflict of Interest Laws
“In summary, after reviewing hundreds of documents and interviewing more than 20 witnesses, the OIG found that by co-signing the letter to the FCC Parkinson improperly participated in a particular matter that had a direct and predictable effect on his financial interest. Parkinson’s conflict resulted from his status as a stockholder and board member of Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble), a California manufacturer of precision-GPS devices that helped form a coalition of GPS makers and users to block the LightSquared plan. However, we also determined that Parkinson’s actions were not motivated by a financial interest but rather appeared to be driven by his desire to protect a critical national resource he had helped create.”