Post # 125, Bob McKnight's Florida Commentary
The one occurrence you should never see in government is a "No Bid" Request for Proposal, unless it is under emergency terms. If it is an emergency and time is of the essence, a very limited and precise bid is understood. It should be for a short term and then subject to a public bid. Few politicians bragg about the number of No Bid contracts they award.
So, it was some surprise that a Florida firm, Fillakit LLC recently received a whopping $10.2 Million No Bid Contract for work from the federal government, Emergency Management Agency. It was especially surprising since the firm had only been in business for 2 months.
The product Fillakit provided the government was virus testing kits, which users, like the state of Michigan, said were defective. Allegedly the kits were not assembled in sanitary conditions, with dust, debris, bugs, and human blood discovered among the kits. The company principal had a checked past having been charged with fraud during the 2008 financial crises. Fillakit LLC announced its abrupt closure last week as multiple federal agencies began investigating how such an ill advised no bid contract was processed and awarded.
No surprise, one of the principals involved with Fillakit LLC was a former registered lobbyist in Tallahassee, according to Propublica. Sources have further indicated that the Fillakit principals had worked their way into close contacts with the DeSantis Administration. The close, almost daily relationship with Governor DeSantis and the Trump Administration is well known. Draining the Swamp will have to wait.