Sinclair profits from U.S. military contract

Published October 18, 2004 7:03PM (EDT)

In late September, a press release from Jadoo Power Systems, Inc. announced that the company was awarded a new contract to develop power systems for the U.S. military's Special Operations Command. One of Jadoo's investors includes Sinclair Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, the folks planning to run the anti-Kerry film, "Stolen Honor," on more than 60 network television affiliates just ahead of election day.

According to another Jadoo press release from March 3, 2003, CEO Larry Bawden visited the White House last year, where he debriefed the president and received Bush's personal endorsement:

"With growing pressure to find new sources of energy for both homeland security and environmental reasons, President George W. Bush invited Jadoo to demonstrate their portable fuel cell technology. Jadoo currently sells products that are being used to power covert surveillance cameras for law enforcement agencies and recently demonstrated a product to power TV cameras to the President. President Bush encouraged the entrepreneurial spirit, 'Keep dreaming your dreams. It's the collective dreams of the American entrepreneurial set which really define our future for us. Here today, I'm going to say your government is not to stand in your way, but stand by your side as we blaze new paths for our country.'"

It's probably a safe bet that the Bush government won't stand in the way of Jadoo investor Sinclair's programming choices, either. Neither Jadoo's Bawden nor Sinclair Ventures returned calls from War Room seeking comment on the size of the new military contract, or the amount of equity Sinclair Ventures holds in Jadoo.


By Mark Follman

Mark Follman is Salon's deputy news editor. Read his other articles here.

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