CNN is reporting that Whitefish Energy, the crazy dubious no-bid winner of a $300 million contract to restore energy to hurricane struck Puerto Rico, is halting the work it’s been doing on the island because they are owed $83 million.
Whitefish CEO Andy Techmanski told CNN that repeated requests for agreed payments were not met and there was no choice but to suspend work.
He claimed credit for the restoration of transmission lines by his contractors, even after his company's controversial contract with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) was set to be voided.
According to the company, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) had already approved $26 million, which has also not been paid. Whitefish CEO Technmanski says they were told that FEMA was going to help pay out the contract—must have been something that his buddy and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke mentioned to him over drinks in an Elk’s lodge. If you don’t remember,
Puerto Rico decided to cancel the remainder of the contract with Whitefish Energy because owing an unknown company with a permanent staff of TWO $300 million dollars didn’t seem like a good idea. They also didn’t like the idea that the deal was signed off on after PREPA seemingly ignored every red flag brought to its attention.
In addition, FEMA's attorney in Puerto Rico, Graciela Zavala-Garcia, wrote to attorneys at Greenberg Traurig on Oct. 12 saying the agency's chief counsel "concluded that the PREPA contract does not contain some necessary provisions."
Still those warnings were not heeded by PREPA.
Working for a couple of weeks on a $300 million job does not entitle you to $83 million dollars. Of course, I wasn’t born yesterday, Whitefish Energy will get some money out of all of our pockets from this. That’s what Trump’s administration is set up to do—suck the tax money up and spread it around rich friends and rich family.