RPT-KBR, Halliburton hit by ex-worker's rape charges

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By Anna Driver

HOUSTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Major Pentagon contractor KBR Inc (KBR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and former parent Halliburton Co (HAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) are facing rising political heat from a lawsuit filed by a woman who says she was gang-raped by fellow employees of a KBR unit in Iraq.

The complaint by Jamie Leigh Jones accuses the companies of tolerating abusive behavior and sexual harassment, creating a dangerous place to work for women in Iraq.

KBR, the Pentagon's largest private contractor in Iraq, has already drawn scrutiny from auditors, lawmakers and the U.S. Justice Department for its billing claims related to services provided to troops in that country.

Jones, who went public to draw attention to her case, is suing KBR and Halliburton for compensatory and punitive damages in federal court in Houston.

Her allegations have won big play on TV, provided fodder for anti-war bloggers and caught the attention of politicians.

Jones testified about the incident on Wednesday before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee at a hearing on the enforcement of laws to protect Americans working in Iraq.

The investigation of the attack, initially undertaken by KBR security personnel, was turned over to the government at the government's request, KBR said.