{"id":3271,"date":"2020-06-04T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2020-06-04T16:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=3271"},"modified":"2020-06-04T11:23:25","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T18:23:25","slug":"governor-newsoms-dubious-mask-deal-brings-corruption-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=3271","title":{"rendered":"Governor Newsom’s Dubious Mask Deal Brings Corruption Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Michael Palomba\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Gov. Gavin Newsom made a $1.4 billion deal with BYD, a Chinese company, to produce N-95 masks. What\u2019s weird about this situation is that BYD is an electric bus maker with no history of making masks. What\u2019s even weirder is that the masks never came to fruition because they failed to meet national safety and health standards.<\/span><\/p>\n

The story begins in March with a different company. A deal was made with Blue Frame Medical LLC, a recently formed company made up of political consultants looking to cash in on the pandemic. Newsom facilitated a $456.9 million transaction with the company, wiring the funds in exchange for millions of masks. However, shortly after the transfer was initiated, the State Controller’s office got a call from the bank, notifying them that the account they were transferring to was opened just one day before.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The state immediately requested its money back and began its search for a new company to produce masks. In April, a deal was struck with BYD, but the contract was kept hidden from legislators and the media.<\/span><\/p>\n

The California Globe<\/em><\/span> has found<\/a> “a trail of well-connected players” involved in the $1.4 billion mask deal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These players include:<\/span><\/p>\n