(March 19, 2007)—Bureaucratic bickering and legal squabbles may have contributed to problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

An Army contract to privatize maintenance was delayed more than three years.

It led to staff shortages and a hospital in disarray just as the number of severely wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan was rising rapidly.

The disputes involved hospital management, the Pentagon, Congress and a politically-connected bidder.

Documents from the investigative and auditing arm of Congress say the problems occurred between 2003 and 2006.

That's when a five-year, $120 million contract was finally awarded to IAP Worldwide Services to handle maintenance, security, public works and management.

The contract covers management of the infamous Building 18.

That's where The Washington Post found black mold on the walls of patient rooms, rodent and cockroach infestation, and shoddy mattresses, sparking outrage.

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