Thank you Koipond! That’s most intriguing - including the date...

Thank you Koipond!

That’s most intriguing - including the date it was published - back in October 2012!
https://www.wired.com/2012/10/big-business-romneys-navy/
That was the year the then-head of the US Austal yards purportedly launched his private secretary at a U.S. army investigator on a mission of salacious intent with the directive to bring back photographs to use for commercial blackmail !

After discovering this movie-worthy story back in 2020, I have been ‘niggled’ by how/if it has impacted Austal since (and by the dastardly-ness of some big business) …

And now the David Axe report you found (also dated 2012!) explains Lehman has been closely involved with US Austal since the start!

Ie he orchestrated much of US Austral’s initial military profile and business (and owns/owned an adjoining shipyard?)
Ooooh?

I wonder if he was also ‘in bed’ in some way with the Libby Loving scandal?

Spoiler : Scandal

For anyone interested in ‘tangled webs’ here’s a link to a 2016 news report on the scandalous affair:
https://www.al.com/news/2016/05/secretary_navy_captain_lose_jo.html

“…The two had met when Riedel was in Mobile for the christening of the littoral combat ship USS Coronado on Jan. 14, 2012.
The Coronado was the second Independence-class vessel produced by the Mobile shipyard as part of its $3.5 billion contract with the Navy. The Littoral Combat Ship program has been under fire by Congress and some in the Pentagon who feel it is too costly and not suited for combat.

Loving claims she was directed by Rella to have drinks and dinner with (Jeff) Riedel and then try to get compromising photos of Riedel, who was in town to review the LCS program. Loving told investigators this made her feel "less than a two-bit hooker."…​

Regardless, it has seemed to me that ever since, and perhaps all along, there have been ‘odd’ goings on at Austal including army raids in 2019 and the sudden purchase of that remarkably cheap(?) ($10m) [ref ] second ship-building yard in 2020.

Cheers, and once again, thank you for deep diving Koipond!
And good luck to all here who have bought passage on this journey!