The mayor of Puerto Rico's capital can't believe this tiny firm's $300 million contract

A two-employee firm in Montana got a $300 million contract to restore power to Puerto Rico.
 By 
Keith Wagstaff
 on 
The mayor of Puerto Rico's capital can't believe this tiny firm's $300 million contract
San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz isn't a fan of Whitefish. Credit: LA Times via Getty Images

When the White House awarded a two-person company from Montana a $300 million contract to restore power to Puerto Rico, it obviously raised some red flags.

The company, Whitefish Energy Holdings, just so happens to be located in the hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. It also employed Zinke's son for a summer. So yeah, Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of Puerto Rico's capital city, San Juan, was a little skeptical.

“The contract should be voided right away and a proper process which is clear, transparent, legal, moral and ethical should take place,” she told Yahoo News on Wednesday.

Whitefish responded by saying her comments were misplaced.

Cruz -- who wasn't afraid to criticize Donald Trump over his delayed response to Hurricane Maria, which has so far killed at least 51 people in Puerto Rico -- again questioned the Whitefish contract.

The company responded with maturity and respect to Cruz's comment. Oh wait, nope, they tweeted this.

Yeahhhh. Threatening to pack up and go home when only 25 percent of the power grid has been restored seems kind of callous.

At that point, the Twitter battle was on.

Other Twitter users joined in. Perhaps Whitefish Energy should read a Wikipedia entry about the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico?

Sadly, hospitals, schools, and other buildings will stay dark in Puerto Rico as this tiny firm continues to clash with San Juan's mayor.

Topics Politics

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Keith Wagstaff

Keith Wagstaff is an assistant editor at Mashable and a terrible Settlers of Catan player. He has written for TIME, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, NBC News, The Village Voice, VICE, GQ and New York Magazine, among many other reputable and not-so-reputable publications. After nearly a decade in New York City, he now lives in his native Los Angeles.

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