Rep. Tammy Duckworth Rips Into "Disabled" IRS Contractor....(Video)

I saw this on one of the MSM news channels yesterday and it blew me away.

Apparently, a Virginia businessman by the name of Braulio Castillo, received millions in an IRS contract through the Veterans Administration after he was ruled eligible for benefits normally reserved for disabled veterans. He then used that status to gain an advantage when competing for government contracts. Problem is, his injury was a sprained ankle he received while playing football in a military prep school. Wait until you hear how he describes his injury in a letter to a government official at the Small Business Administration.

www.military.com...

"My family and I have made considerable sacrifices for our country," Duckworth read from Castillo's letter. "My service connected disability status should stand as a testimony to that end." In the letter, Castillo goes on to claim he cannot take walks with his children and takes pain medication twice a day, and says "These are crosses that I bear due to my service to our great country, and I would do it again to protect this great country."

Needless to say, Rep. Tammy Duckworth, (a "real" disabled veteran) wasn't very impressed. As a matter of fact, I'd venture to say the she was "repulsed" by this guys actions and she wasn't one bit shy about letting her feelings be known.

Here's the video;



I don't know about the rest of you, but I vote to oust the current chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Darrell Issa and replace him with Rep. Tammy Duckworth, in a heartbeat. At least this woman recognizes a real injustice when she sees one and she's not afraid to identify this leach for the phony he really is.

IMO, Rep. Tammy Duckworth is, without a doubt, a "KEEPER."

And for that, I Thank You, Illinois!

Here's an alternative link for the non U.S members. It says not available in your country on your link.

reply to post by mclarenmp4


Thank you so much for posting the complete video. The version you posted was the version I saw on the news, I just couldn't find it at the time I posted this thread. This was the one I wanted everyone to see, where Castillo made remarks about how he was appearing despite the fact that he was hurting and what a joke that turned out to be.

This guy is a dirt bag of the highest order. As it turns out, he sprained his ankle in 1984 while playing football for the military prep school. He later went on to play quarterback while in college in San Diego and according to his own testimony, he never re-injured his ankle after the prep school sprain. He never served in the military, period!

From what I can tell, he was just awarded the "disabled vet." status in 2012, (some 28+ years after the injury) and it would appear that he only applied for the status in order to gain an advantage in the government contract bidding process.

IMO, even if this guy hasn't formally broken any laws, he should be tarred and feathered and put on public display. Or maybe he should be forced to display a license plate that says, "I Screw Vets."

The more I look into this matter, the worse it gets. As it turns out, this guy Braulio Castillo apparently has a friend at the IRS purchasing office by the name of Greg Roseman who was also scheduled to appear before the Oversight Committee but he decided to take the 5th instead and so far, has refused to testify.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

Strong Castle, a relatively small IT provider founded in 2011, won more than a dozen contracts with the IRS in 2012, potentially worth more than $500 million. According to the report, Strong Castle CEO Braulio Castillo's close friendship with a top IRS purchasing official, Greg Roseman, may have “influenced the [contractor] selection process" in favor of Castillo's company.

In the Strong Castle case, much of the 150-plus page report is devoted to cataloguing Roseman and Castillo's friendship through a series of chummy text messages, emails and phone calls, including ones in which Roseman offers advice on how to win IRS contracts.

It also details the company's efforts to become eligible for special contracts that are reserved for disabled veterans and businesses in low-income areas, a move that provided Castillo and Strong Castle with a competitive advantage in the bidding process.

How does one get VA disability benefits while NEVER spending a single day in the military.

And Ms Duckworth has used her disability and military service to get sympathy votes from Illinois voters.

She is part of the Chicago machine, has been appointed to office by Blagojevich and later, Obama. She was heavily supported by Durbin and Rahm Emanuel.

She also abused her position as head of Illinois Veterans Affairs.

She got elected because of re-districting after being defeated in her first attempt.


As an Illinois resident, I do not care for her.

Not saying what the other clown did was right.

Originally posted by Xtrozero
How does one get VA disability benefits while NEVER spending a single day in the military.

Now, that's a damn good question. According to what I've read so far, students attending West Point are not considered enlisted until graduation, "unless" they are injured during their attendance at the school prior to graduation. Apparently, upon being injured, they are designated as "enlisted" solely for the purpose of qualifying for treatment of the injury through the veterans administration.

Doesn't make sense, but that's what I'm hearing. Don't know why they can't just carry them to the nearest hospital, just like they would at any other high school across this country.

A side note:

Sorry, I don't mean to derail but this is the first I heard of the $500 million in contracts this guy's company got. Yes, the c4 oversight dudes work in a different office than the contracting officers but TWO major offices within the IRS this crooked?

Astonishing. Buuuuutttt I forgot about it already as immigration reform is the holy grail this week and all wrong doing has been forgotten.

Originally posted by freedom12
And Ms Duckworth has used her disability and military service to get sympathy votes from Illinois voters.

That's a pretty low blow considering what she sacrificed in service to this country. Are you trying to one-up Rick Perry or what?

Originally posted by freedom12
She is part of the Chicago machine, has been appointed to office by Blagojevich and later, Obama. She was heavily supported by Durbin and Rahm Emanuel.

That's your excuse for not liking her, really? Sorry, but I think the real reason you dislike her probably has more to do with the (D) that comes as a preface to her congressional title. If you took half a minute to research her life and her political career, you'd see that she's hardly part of the "Chicago Machine" that so many conservatives hate.

Originally posted by freedom12
She also abused her position as head of Illinois Veterans Affairs.

Is this what you're talking about?

en.wikipedia.org...

On September 17, 2008, Duckworth attended a campaign event for Dan Seals, the Democratic candidate for Illinois's 10th congressional district. Duckworth used vacation time to avoid any appearance of impropriety, but violated Illinois law by going to the event in a state-owned van which was equipped for a person with physical disabilities. She promptly acknowledged the mistake and repaid the state for the use of the van.[17][18]

Now that's a scandal if I ever hear one. Coming from Chicago, I'm sure Al Capone would have been proud.

Originally posted by freedom12
She got elected because of re-districting after being defeated in her first attempt.

I don't care for re-districting either, but then I'm a democrat from Texas and I'm speaking from the other side of the coin, so to speak. I don't care for Ted Cruz either but I'm stuck with that nut job for at least 6 yrs., the bad part is, you're stuck with him too. Just the same, it is what it is. At least until we come up with the collective political will to change it.

Originally posted by freedom12
As an Illinois resident, I do not care for her.
Not saying what the other clown did was right.

It's definitely your right not to care for her but I doubt that's the majority opinion.

Also, I know that Wikipedia is not the definitive source for information on the net, but I challenge you to find one corrupt deed attributed to Rep. Duckworth, (other than that little thing with the van) in her personal and/or professional life. I sure couldn't.

That's a pretty low blow considering what she sacrificed in service to this country. Are you trying to one-up Rick Perry or what?

Her opponent brought it up also. Since you're from Texas, you don't get robocalls from Duckworth and probably don't follow Ms Duckworth's escapades on a daily basis. I, on the other hand, live in her district and am very familiar with her.

Just because you're a "wounded vet" doesn't give you carte blanche to use "war" injuries as a reason to hold office.

TextIf you took half a minute to research her life and her political career, you'd see that she's hardly part of the "Chicago Machine" that so many conservatives hate.

Obviously, living in their backyard, nevermind. Big fail.

Conservative? LOL......Two bad assumptions on your part.


Guilt is assigned by association and the Chicago Machine is firmly entrenched with Tammy.

I've been to 2 townhall meeting's she had, personally shook her hand at one.

Obviously, I did not vote for her, but I DID NOT vote for her opponent either.

Originally posted by freedom12

Her opponent brought it up also. Since you're from Texas, you don't get robocalls from Duckworth and probably don't follow Ms Duckworth's escapades on a daily basis. I, on the other hand, live in her district and am very familiar with her.

For starters, the fact that her opponent would also stoop to that level in an attempt to win an election doesn't make it right. On the other hand, I do live in Texas and I wasn't personally exposed to her robo-calls during the election. Seeing how I don't live in Illinois, maybe you could be so kind as to post evidence of these "escapades" you speak of.

Originally posted by freedom12
Just because you're a "wounded vet" doesn't give you carte blanche to use "war" injuries as a reason to hold office.

Really, well maybe you could pass that little bit of political advice on to Sen. John McCain.

Originally posted by Flatfish
If you took half a minute to research her life and her political career, you'd see that she's hardly part of the "Chicago Machine" that so many conservatives hate.

Originally posted by freedom12
Obviously, living in their backyard, nevermind. Big fail.

Yeah, well I may live next door to a zoo but it doesn't make me an expert on elephants or alligators etc... On the other hand, a little research goes a long way. Unless the Wiki article is a complete fabrication, it would appear that Ms. Duckworth has a pretty extensive education in the fields of political science and international affairs.

en.wikipedia.org...

Duckworth attended Singapore American School, and for a few months in her senior year was at the International School Bangkok, from which the Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner also graduated. She graduated with honors from McKinley High School in 1985, after skipping the ninth grade. She graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, and received a Master of Arts in international affairs from George Washington University.[6]
Following in the footsteps of her father and ancestors, who served in the Revolutionary War, World War II, and the Vietnam War,[4] Duckworth joined the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps as a graduate student at George Washington University in 1990. She became a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve in 1992 and chose to fly helicopters because it was one of the few combat jobs open to women. As a member of the Army Reserve, she went to flight school and joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 1996.[7]
Duckworth was working towards a PhD in political science at Northern Illinois University with research interests in the political economy and public health in southeast Asia when she was deployed to Iraq in 2004.[8] Duckworth lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee[9] from injuries sustained on November 12, 2004, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents.[10] She is the first female double amputee from the Iraq war.[1] The explosion "almost completely destroyed her right arm, breaking it in three places and tearing tissue from the back side of it."[11] Duckworth received a Purple Heart on December 3 and was promoted to Major on December 21 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she was presented with an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal.[10]

Like I said before, I challenge you to provide actual evidence of this corruption and/or "escapades" you previously mentioned.

Originally posted by freedom12
Conservative? LOL......Two bad assumptions on your part.

Hardly an assumption. Are you or are you not a Ron Paul supporter? Maybe I should have used the term "Libertarian" instead, but then even your boy Ron Paul runs as a republican despite calling himself a libertarian.

Originally posted by freedom12
Guilt is assigned by association and the Chicago Machine is firmly entrenched with Tammy.

I've been to 2 townhall meeting's she had, personally shook her hand at one.

Obviously, I did not vote for her, but I DID NOT vote for her opponent either.

Despite how flawed this type of reasoning is, "guilt by association" seems to have become a mainstay of the conservative movement and via your own self proclaimed acceptance of it, you too must be part of the corrupt Chicago machine by virtue of your place of residence. See how easy that is?

I could have sat here and told you what a nut job Ron Paul was based on the fact that I lived in his district, (up until the recent re-districting) but I wouldn't expect that my place of residence should in any way bolster the credibility of my claims when a little research into his positions was all it actually took to verify my statement.

Originally posted by Flatfish

Originally posted by Xtrozero
How does one get VA disability benefits while NEVER spending a single day in the military.

Now, that's a damn good question. According to what I've read so far, students attending West Point are not considered enlisted until graduation, "unless" they are injured during their attendance at the school prior to graduation. Apparently, upon being injured, they are designated as "enlisted" solely for the purpose of qualifying for treatment of the injury through the veterans administration.

Doesn't make sense, but that's what I'm hearing. Don't know why they can't just carry them to the nearest hospital, just like they would at any other high school across this country.

This guy was in a military prep school in high school...they are all private schools. He then went on to a normal college where he continued to play football. I do know that the 4 years at a military academy accounts for zero towards one's years in the military. Plus he had a sprain...geez

The interesting thing when I got my VA disability it had nothing to do with pain or injury, but with how much freedom of movement you have. My ankles are very limited due to multi injuries over 28 years in the military and the percentage for them was not because they hurt but because my range of movement was very limited.

Originally posted by Xtrozero

This guy was in a military prep school in high school...they are all private schools. He then went on to a normal college where he continued to play football. I do know that the 4 years at a military academy accounts for zero towards one's years in the military. Plus he had a sprain...geez

The interesting thing when I got my VA disability it had nothing to do with pain or injury, but with how much freedom of movement you have. My ankles are very limited due to multi injuries over 28 years in the military and the percentage for them was not because they hurt but because my range of movement was very limited.

Yeah, what a joke!

The real incriminating part is the fact that he didn't even apply for the disabled Vet. designation for 20+ yrs. after the initial injury. It's more than apparent that he only did so in order to gain an advantage in the bidding process for government contracts. The same way he employed a couple of disadvantaged persons in order to qualify as doing business in low-income areas.

The guy is a dirt-bag, plain & simple.