Top Goveror REVEALED In “Pay To Play” Scheme… $600 Million!
(NewsBroadcast.com) – Cronyism can be defined as “a corrupt practice where an individual in a position of power and influence abuses their authority to dispense favors to their friends and allies.” That’s nothing new to America’s political system, ANY political system, truth be told. But when an apparent case of it includes a state’s governor handing out more than a half-billion dollars without any oversight, it grabs attention.
Amazing Return on Investment
New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has continually renewed her executive order declaring a COVID-19 emergency, which has allowed her to do two things. First, she can enter into “no-bid contracts” on behalf of the state, and second, she can bypass the comptroller’s office.
Digital Gadgets, LLC is a New Jersey-based company that sells hoverboards and the like on a wholesale level. When the pandemic hit in 2020, it began seeking government contracts for medical equipment. Soon after Hochul took office, the company owner, Charles “Charlie” Tebele, his wife, and his children became very generous donors to her campaign — to the tune of a reported $300,000.
According to reports, the family business has received roughly $637 million to provide the state with 52 million at-home coronavirus tests. If one were to invest the amount the Tebele family donated for one year, to get back the value of the contracts would equate to a return on investment of 212,233.33%. Just a wee bit better than what a bank would give you on a CD, doncha think?
When one looks at the cost per unit of the tests, a reasonable question might be, “What makes the Digital Gadgets version so fantastic?” The tests were sent to New York in two batches, one at $13/unit and the other at $11.50/unit.
In comparison, the federal government ordered the over-the-counter virus detectors through a bidding process, spending around $2 billion for 380 million tests. Doing the math (2,000,000,000÷380,000,000) shows that Washington paid out slightly more than $5.26/unit.
Taking Advantage of the Need
Lest one believes Governor Hochul is unique in what could be termed an indiscretion with taxpayer money, let us put that notion to rest. Governor Doug Ducey (R) of Arizona came under fire from Auditor General Lindsay Perry for using $22 million on “unallowable costs” in 2020. He was also accused of directing federal money earmarked for schools to only those districts that had done way with mask mandates.
What do you think of Governor Hochul’s questionable contract allocation? Is she doing what’s best for her state — or what’s best for her donor friends?
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