The FBI is investigating how a tiny Montana-based electrical company was awarded a $300 million contract to restore Puerto Rico's power
The FBI has opened an investigation into a controversial $300 million contract that the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority awarded to Whitefish Energy Holdings, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Whitefish Energy is the tiny company from Montana that was hired to rebuild power lines on the island following two destructive hurricanes. The deal had drawn widespread scrutiny in part because Whitefish Energy secured the contract while only having two full-time employees, and because it is located in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's tiny hometown. The FBI agents are apparently looking into "circumstances surrounding the disaster-recovery deal," people familiar with the investigation told The Wall Street Journal.
On Sunday, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló canceled the contract, claiming the controversy surrounding the deal had become "a distraction."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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