On Friday, the New York Times revealed more about the company that secured a no-bid contract to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and though the investigation has continued to reveal ties between the company and President Donald Trump, the White House insists these links have nothing to do with the decision to select the firm. This comes as enormous green algae blooms have concealed the American-flag blue Trump says he intended for the pool.
According to the New York Times, the contract for the endeavor “shows that the National Park Service bypassed the competitive-bidding process that is typically required, and gave a $1.7 million contract to the firm, Greenwater Services of Brookfield, Ohio. Federal contracting records show that firm’s ultimate owner is the J.J. Cafaro Investment Trust, led by John J. Cafaro, a donor to Mr. Trump and a neighbor to Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club in Florida. The water treatment company also listed Mr. Cafaro’s Palm Beach mansion as its address in Florida corporate records.” Cafaro is a “longtime Republican donor” whom Trump has described as a “fantastic man.”
Interior Department spokesperson Katie Martin claims that the administration wasn’t aware of Cafaro’s political stance when the contract was awarded, saying, “This company was selected because they had the expertise, work force and materials needed to complete the job in time.”
While several firms had expressed interest in the cleaning project, the Times writes that in April, the Park Service “gave the work directly to Greenwater Services, a company that federal records show had received only one other federal contract. The Park Service justified its decision to bypass competition by citing an exemption meant for urgent situations: It said there was no time to consider other offers because the system had to be installed in time for events celebrating the country’s 250th birthday.”
What’s more, this isn’t the only no-bid contractor fouled in the scandal. According to the Times, “Another no-bid contract for $14.7 million had been awarded to a Virginia firm, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, for the same reason of urgent need. That business was paid to spread blue waterproofing material on the pool’s concrete floor. That work, too, shows signs of potential trouble. On Thursday, a section of the pool’s new layer of blue waterproofing appeared to have detached from the bottom and floated to the pool’s surface.” Martin declined to comment on that.
As the Times reports, “Cafaro’s ties to Mr. Trump go back at least 10 years. In 2016, Mr. Trump boycotted a Republican debate and held a competing event, a televised fund-raiser for veterans causes. One of the major donors was Mr. Cafaro, who gave $50,000.”
“J.J. Cafaro from Florida and from Cleveland: He’s a man who made a lot of money in Cleveland, does a good job, and a fantastic man. J.J., thank you,” said Trump at the time.
Since then, records show that Cafaro has given Trump-related groups over $300,000. What’s more, Cafaro’s wife chaired a lavish International Red Cross Ball at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
