Former DOE employee pleads guilty in contract-bribery case

The U.S. Department of Justice said Edward Doherty, a former Department of Energy security specialist, pleaded guilty to honest services fraud, payment of illegal gratuities and bribery of a public official. The charges relate to offering money to a DOE employee to help MAE Systems secure DOE contracts.

According to the DOJ, Doherty was recorded offering at least $10,000 and made two payments totalling $2,500. He was indicted in July 2025, and sentencing is scheduled for 8 July 2026; no sentence has yet been imposed.