re: $600 toilet seats.
The story I heard was different, the high cost of the custom seats was not due to fraud, but to the complex contractual paper trail and approval and sign-off process required by the arcane government regulations needed to ensure compliance with technical specifications for weaponry. Yeah, I worked in that industry too. I can believe either story, or both. Compact commodes are available for yachts at fairly reasonable prices, though...marine grade, too!
It's my point, the costs are not just due to fraud, but to friction. As for Halliburton, or at least KB&R, I've heard about them since the 70s, but I never believed the stories, they seemed too preposterous. Now, I'm not so skeptical.