Pubdate: Thu, 05 Oct 2000 Source: USA Today (US) Copyright: 2000 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Contact: 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22229 Fax: (703) 247-3108 Website: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm Author: Kevin Johnson, USA Today DRUG OFFICIALS DEFEND ADVERTISING PARTNER WASHINGTON -- The White House drug policy office is defending its major private partner in a billion-dollar, anti-drug campaign amid allegations the advertising firm overbilled the government for its work. Don Maple, senior policy analyst for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and drug czar Barry McCaffrey said Wednesday that the government remains confident in the agency, Ogilvy & Mather, and was not ending its deal with the New York City firm. ''We don't believe there is fraud,'' Maple said during a break in a congressional hearing in which lawmakers suggested the allegations could hurt the anti-drug campaign. Still, the government continued to withhold $18 million in payments for what it calls questionable billings by its advertising partners -- including $13.5 million by Ogilvy. The General Accounting Office (GAO), Congress' auditing arm, is investigating the drug policy office's contracting operations. Ogilvy President Bill Gray said the government was billed within industry standards. Meanwhile, U.S. investigators who have examined McCaffrey's relationship with advertising contractors found that the public relations firm of Fleishman-Hillard, which has a $10 million piece of the anti-drug media campaign, provided McCaffrey free advice on a private matter. A GAO report found that Fleishman-Hillard counseled McCaffrey, a former Army general, on how to respond to a magazine article critical of his actions in the Persian Gulf War. A McCaffrey spokesman said ''nothing inappropriate'' occurred. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart