Jamie Leigh Jones

Jamie Leigh Jones is a former KBR employee who has filed a lawsuit against seven KBR employees who drugged and gang-raped her on July 28, 2005 at Camp Hope, Baghdad Iraq. She is the founder of the Jamie Leigh Foundation.

Incident
Jamie Leigh Jones of Conroe, Texas, the wife of Joseph Daigle, a member of the United States Armed Forces currently stationed at Coronado Island, California, began working for KBR as an administrative assistant in 2004 when she was 19, and started her contract of employment with Overseas Administrative Services, Ltd. in Houston, Texas on July 21, 2005, at the age of 20.

While working in Houston before July, 2005, Jamie was forced into a sexual relationship with Eric Iler, her immediate supervisor, having to choose between sex and the loss of her job. Iler's last known address was 110 HILLSIDE DR., Liberty, Texas 77575. Later, Jamie succeeded in transferring to another department on the ground of sexual harrassment. She was thus transferred to Iraq. Upon learning about Jamie's transfer, Iler first attempted to transfer himself to Iraq as Jamie's supervisor. When operations manager Frederick Heard assured Jamie that Iler would not be transferred to her department, Iler wrote William Tompkins, Jamie's subsequent supervisor in Iraq, a bad reference in order to block her transfer.

On July 28, 2005, firefighter Charles Boartz, and his co-workers, allegedly slipped Jones a date rape drug. Boartz and his co-workers then allegedly engaged in unprotected anal and vaginal gang-rape with an unconscious Jones. The result of the "severe injuries" inflicted by Boartz and his co-workers on Jones included the following: (1) disfigurement of chest, (2) bruised thighs, (3) bruised chest, (4) bleeding between legs. Further, the lawsuit filed by Jones' attorneys cites the following: "When she awoke the next morning still affected by the drug, she found her body naked and severely bruised, with lacerations to her vagina and anus, blood running down her leg, her breast implants were ruptured, and her pectoral muscles torn - which would later require reconstructive surgery. Upon walking to the rest room, she passed out again." This was confirmed by U.S. Army physician Jodi Schultz. The rape kit utilized by Schultz on Jones then went missing as a result of it being transferred to KBR/Halliburton security forces by Dr. Schultz.

Jones was confined by armed guards under orders by her employer, KBR, to a shipping container containing only a bed. She was denied food, water, and medical treatment. Jones used a borrowed cell phone to contact her father, who in turn contacted Representative Ted Poe (R, TX) who contacted the State Department. Agents were dispatched from the US Embassy in Baghdad and removed Jones from KBR custody.

In May 2007, a State Department diplomat recovered the kit from Haliburton and KBR. However, notes and photographs taken by Dr. Schultz (of Ms. Jones the morning following her rape) were missing. Thus, since evidence had been tampered with, an attempt to prosecute the rapists may prove difficult.

Issue with Criminal Lawsuit
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought no criminal charges against the alleged assailants. Because of CPA Order 17, which limits the power of the Iraqi government to pursue legal action against foreigner contractors working in Iraq, it is possible that her assailants may not face any legal penalty for the crime - at least by the Iraqi government itself.

However, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 1, § 7, of the United States Code, entitled "Special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States defined," the United States has jurisdiction over the following:


 * "(7) Any place outside the jurisdiction of any nation with respect to an offense by or against a national of the United States."

Because CPA Order 17 provides limited immunity for U.S. Contractors from the Iraqi government, this offense may be outside Iraqi government's jurisdiction. Therefore, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 1, § 7, paragraph 7, of the United States Code, would apply because Jones is a national of the United States.

Further, on December 19, 2007, during the testimony of Jones, Congressman Robert Scott stated that the DOJ "can enforce with respect to contractors who commit crimes abroad, but it chooses not to."

Moreover, Congressman Poe - a former judge - stated, in a recent interview, that the United States has jurisdiction over U.S. Contractors in the following:

"Well, I agree with Brian that there is jurisdiction - that the United States government has jurisdiction of this case. As a former judge, I agree with him totally.  The federal government needs to pursue it."

Issue with Civil Lawsuit
On May 16, 2007, Jones filed a civil lawsuit against KBR and former parent corporation Halliburton. KBR has requested a private arbitration, and claims this is required by her employment contract.

Testimony before Congress
On December 19, 2007, Jones testified before Congress about her experience of the incident.

In response to her testimony, Congressman Robert C. Scott stated that the DOJ "seems to be taking action with respect to enforcement of criminal laws in Iraq only when it is forced to do something by embarrassing media coverage."

Further, the United States Department of Justice was supoeaned to appear before Congress. The Department of Justice failed to appear. In response to the DOJ's failure to appear, Congressman John Conyers - chairman of the full House Judiciary Committee - said, "It is unacceptable for our own Department of Justice to refuse to testify today,"