Trump Awarded Largest Coronavirus Protective Equipment Contract To a Company Who Didn’t Have To Bid For It

In an eyebrow-raising move, the White House interfered with FEMA’s purchasing process, awarding its protective equipment contract to AirBoss of America.

The Trump administration blew through hundreds of deals, which topped $760 million as of this week, in an effort to address the pandemic quickly, disregarding the standard protocol for selecting contracts. According to ProPublica, the AirBoss transaction is the single largest no-bid purchase. Federal purchasing data also reveals that the deal alone makes up two-thirds of the $140 million that FEMA has spent on COVID-19 response through April 8th.

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency placed the order, they placed it at the direction of the White House, ProPublica also revealed.

The March 31st FEMA contract called for AirBoss to produce 100,000 powered respirators and filters for medical workers treating patients in New York, a critical component that the White House has been slow to act on. In addition, the contract calls for the supplies to be delivered to New York by July 31st, which would be five months after the state’s first reported case.

The White House has not revealed what made them go with the company for the protective equipment.

“I can’t think of an example of the White House sending FEMA a directive to procure items from a particular company in a particular manner,” Tim Manning, a former FEMA deputy administrator during the Obama administration, explained, which raises further questions about the White House’s intentions. Manning also revealed that the reason the White House’s involvement in purchasing supplies is so unusual is because sorting through the best suppliers is usually a task taken on by procurement professionals and acquisition lawyers, who are experts in the market.

FEMA said that the company “provided an unsolicited offer to the Government which was found to be acceptable.” when questioned by ProPublica in reference to the large award. The statement went on to say, “The company’s proposal/offer was submitted by a White House task force assisting with sourcing of needed supplies and equipment.” In the government database, a contract officer confirmed that the procurement was “ordered by the White House.”

AirBoss is a rubber manufacturer that caters to the auto industry and militaries. The company targeted growth in U.S. federal contracts back in January with the creation of its new subsidiary, AirBoss Defense Group in Maryland. The new entity replaced AirBoss’s existing Maryland-based company, Immediate Response Technologies, which has contracted with the Pentagon for several years. The FEMA contract was awarded to Immediate Response.

Gren Schoch, CEO of the AirBoss parent company, said in an email that the company’s devices have been used “for many years protecting doctors from contagious or contaminated patients. The picture is pretty self-explanatory.” When pressed further, he referred ProPublica to the White House for further inquiry, who have yet to respond.