How to explain Kaine’s stand?

Audits, like nights, are cold and lonely, but Leonard M. “Len” Pomata and his boss, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, are standing by Northrop Grumman even though the company’s missed deadlines and overbilling are hard to understand. This either demonstrates naiveté sufficient to draw cynical sniffs from Tammy Wynette or something else the country star never considered, that $205,250 buys more love than $545 million.

Northrop has invested the former amount in the Democratic Party since Kaine became governor in 2005. Virginia taxpayers have invested the latter amount in Northrop since the defense giant signed a contract that same year to manage the state’s information technology systems. So far taxpayers have not received that for which they paid. Northrop, meanwhile, has acquired curious but unflinching loyalty from the governor and Pomata.

The latest additions on a lengthening list of Northrop failings come from a review of state audits by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Here’s what the T-D discovered:

n Northrop is six months to a year behind on a project to replace old equipment and update support systems. Not a single state agency’s computer system was converted to a new secure state network on time under stipulations in Northrop’s $2.3-billion, 10-year contract.

n For a second consecutive year, Northrop overcharged the state for salaried employees. That happened in more than a third of 27 audited cases. When the state cited the problem last year, Northrop promised to fix it.

n Northrop billed the state for sales taxes on a fourth of its invoices for purchases even though the contractor’s vendors had not imposed the same levies.

n Northrop was late paying subcontractors even after being paid by the state in 40 percent of cases reviewed by auditors. Northrop charged the wrong accounts for subcontractors’ work more than three-fourths of the time.

n Northrop failed to properly secure old state computers before erasing their data, as the company had promised, running the risk of sensitive information being compromised.

Still, Pomata ignored guidelines and signed off on a $13-million payment to Northrop. He did this in his capacity as interim head of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency. That position opened when VITA fired Chief Information Officer Lemuel C. Stewart Jr., after he suggested that the state refrain from paying Northrop. Pomata, by the by, is also Kaine’s technology secretary. Smell a conflict?

“I followed the same procedures that former CIO Lem Stewart followed precisely,” Pomata said, his face straight but his actions taking another direction as he explained the payment.

Pomata followed Stewart precisely? Stewart said the money shouldn’t be paid. Logic said the money shouldn’t be paid. Who is Pomata following? Conscience, yes, not the higher variety, but that of Kaine, who swiftly raced to Northrop’s defense when Stewart was tossed aside.

One question is obvious: Why is a company that has underperformed so dramatically still on the job? Another ought to be: Why is the governor backing a company that has failed taxpayers? Kaine should be leading the charge to get Northrop to either get in line or get out.

Investigations into the contractor’s performance and Stewart’s dismissal are under way. Another probe should be launched into Kaine’s support of Northrop and the maneuvering that pushed the governor’s appointee, Pomata, into Stewart’s place. Kaine’s affections are misplaced. So, too, are his senses, but only of logic or of right and wrong? Virginia deserves an answer.