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TN's GOP Gov. Lee goes on $80 million no-bid spending spree
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/tennessee-goes-on-80-million-no-bid-spending-spree-for-covid-19-supplies"P
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gov. Bill Lee's administration has been on an $80 million, no-bid spending spree for personal protective equipment and other COVID-19 supplies since the declaration of a state of emergency in March, a NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered.
Operating under emergency purchasing rules for the past six months, the administration has legally skirted normal competitive bidding procedures designed to ensure that taxpayers get the best product for the best price.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates found that, in some cases, those no-bid deals have gone to companies with political connections.
"You don't just throw all the rules and standards out the window just because it's an emergency," argued state Sen. Jeff Yarbro, a Nashville Democrat who sits on the Senate Finance Committee and has pushed for more transparency in how COVID-19 money is spent."....(moreĺ