Lev Without Levity

By simultaneously subjecting English grammar and Senate rules to multiple fractures last spring, Capmaker Harry Lev left old Washington hands laughing hilariously as he comically told a Senate investigating subcommittee of showering Government procurement officers with gifts of smoked sturgeon, silk dresses and yacht parties (TIME, June 20). This week the subcommittee had the last laugh.

"Through bribery, collusion and connivance with Government contracting officials and inspectors," said the subcommittee in its official report on the hearings, Lev "delivered defective material to the armed forces and made improper profits at the expense of the Government. His testimony was evasive and in a large part obviously false and untrue. By his reprehensible, amoral conduct, he corrupted and induced Government officials to betray their public trust."

Specifically, the Government noted, Lev managed to grab and hold for himself a $2,040,204.97 contract (for white sailor hats) the Navy wanted to split up, and apparently used $213,924 to buy favors for Government officials. The Senate subcommittee turned its evidence "of fraud, bribery and perjury" over to Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr., asked him to prosecute Lev and try to get back some $450,000 Lev owes the Government for deviating from his contracts.

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