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After One Tweet, This Man Got $69M from New York for Ventilators

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Re: After One Tweet, This Man Got $69M from New York for Ventilators

#6

You mean the state of New York did absolutely zero due diligence? I understand they were grasping in grappling with trying to get all the ventilators they could, but did no one think to Google the company?

> A state official, speaking on background because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the terms of the deal, said New York entered into the contract with Oren-Pines at the direct recommendation of the White House coronavirus task force.

I've run into vendors who don't have websites or any appreciable presence, where you wind up going "holy crap, I had no idea you existed and you serve like half the industry". (I've also been one of these.)

It's plausible they assumed the White House had one of these sorts of vendors.

Re: After One Tweet, This Man Got $69M from New York for Ventilators

#9
post #2

How can this be real life.

America elected a reality TV personality to be President.

What do you want? President doing the background check of the company from which NY is buying few thousand ventilators from?

Re: After One Tweet, This Man Got $69M from New York for Ventilators

#10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America elected a reality TV personality to be President.

Except the President doesn't run New York state, the governor does.

It's worth reading the article. The subtitle adds a bit of necessary context:

> The Silicon Valley engineer, who had no background in medical supplies but was recommended by the White House, never delivered the ventilators.

The article has a direct quote:

> “The guy was recommended to us by the White House coronavirus task force because they were doing business with him as well,” said the New York state official.

I don't think the state government expected that the White House would recommend a scammer.

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