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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe White House Paid Up to $500 Million Too Much for These Ventilators, Congressional Investigators
Citing evidence of fraud, waste, and abuse, a congressional subcommittee investigating the federal governments purchase of $646.7 million worth of Philips ventilators has asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to launch its own investigation of the deal.
The House subcommittee launched its review after ProPublica stories in March and April showed how a U.S. subsidiary of Royal Philips N.V. received millions in federal tax dollars years ago to develop a low-cost ventilator for pandemics but didnt deliver it. Instead, as the coronavirus began spreading around the globe and U.S. hospitals were desperate for more, Philips was selling commercial versions of the government-funded ventilator overseas from its Pennsylvania factory. Then in April, despite having not fulfilled the initial contract, the Dutch company struck a much more lucrative deal to sell the government 43,000 ventilators for four times the price.
Under this new deal, ventilators that the Obama administration had agreed to buy for $3,280 each suddenly cost $15,000. When the deal was announced in April, neither HHS nor Philips would say how the more expensive ventilators differed from the cheaper ones.
It turns out that they were functionally identical, according to investigators with the House Committee on Oversight and Reforms Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, and the waste of taxpayer funds may have reached $500 million.
https://www.propublica.org/article/the-white-house-paid-up-to-500-million-too-much-for-these-ventilators-congressional-investigators-say?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
LakeVermilion
(1,042 posts)They have taken everything of value. There will be no way to fund social services and even the military when they are done. The wealthy will have their own military.
NanceGreggs
(27,815 posts)That is now the GOP's mantra - along with its usual MO.
Promise paybacks to the big donors in exchange for appointments - like Postmaster General, from where you can attempt to control the next election.
Award ridiculously high-money contracts to inexperienced corporations who just happen to be headed by and/or are heavily invested in by big-donor Republicans.
Find ways to divert billions of taxpayers' dollars into private GOP hands.
This is what happens when a corrupt regime finally sees the writing on the wall: Take what you can get while the gettin' is still good - and pray that the next Administration doesn't notice.
duforsure
(11,885 posts)I expect it was overpaid for a kickback to trump using his campaign to funnel it into his pockets with.
kacekwl
(7,017 posts)buddies in Congress in line. Plus trumpco gets it's cut.