Washington, D.C.
The Justice Department has arrested a former U.S. official in Iraq for allegedly taking $546,000 in payoffs to steer $13 million in rebuilding contracts to an American businessman. Prosecutors say Robert Stein Jr., who was responsible for doling out $82 million in development money in south-central Iraq, conspired with businessman Philip Bloom to rig bids to make sure big jobs went to companies Bloom ran from Romania. Bloom’s firms landed at least nine contracts, including for the demolition of a former Baath Party headquarters and the renovation of a library. The arrests marked the first criminal corruption case stemming from the $20 billion Iraq rebuilding effort.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
Crossword: October 19, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
