Trump appointees make bank while steering federal contracts to their own companies

Trump appointees make bank while steering federal contracts to their own companies

Thousands of companies are jockeying for billions of dollars in Defense Department contracts to build a shield designed to intercept and destroy missiles launched against the United States.But amid the intense competition, a handful of firms have an important inside connection.At least four of the companies awarded contracts so far are owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm founded by billionaire Steve Feinberg, who until la…