Trump gives $6.9 million contract to his 'pool guy' under 'urgent' exemption for DC revamp
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Washington, Money
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Washington, Money
The Trump administration seemingly found a loophole that allowed it to grant an almost $7,000,000 no-bid contract to the president's 'pool guy'.
Washington DC's famous Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been renovated in recent weeks, over 100 years after it was built in 1922.
As to why it was remodelled, Donald Trump didn't like the color of the original one and wanted to be, as he put it, 'American flag blue' instead.
The pool, which extends more 2,000 feet, was originally grey stone, but Trump said the color was 'never good'.
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"It never had the color people wanted, but now it's going to have the great color," he said, as per PBS.
The POTUS said that the project cost $2 million, but an investigation by The New York Times has since found that Trump hand-picked a firm to carry out the renovation and reportedly agreed up on a $6.9 million no-bid contract.
According to the newspaper, the Trump administration invoked an exemption meant for urgent situations.
Supposedly the exemption should be used to prevent 'serious injury, financial or other, to the government' – but the changes to the historic pool are believed to be more for aesthetic purposes rather than for safety.
Addressing the matter, Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement to The Times: "This project is now being completed at ‘Trump speed’ to ensure the iconic landmark is totally restored ahead of the 250th celebrations."
The pool repair contract was given on April 3 to Atlantic Industrial Coatings; a firm that has previously carried out work at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, according to The Times.
Government contracts are typically awarded to the vendor that can do the best job for the best price through a public bidding process, says The Independent.
Reportedly the Biden administration also wanted to renovate the pool but it was quoted an eye-watering $300 million and three years of work, says artnet.
By Trump using the exemption, it meant that he skipped over the usual steps a president and their party need to follow when it comes making changes to federal property that's managed by the National Park Service (NPS), such as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The historic monument has undergone federally reviewed rehabilitation projects previously, but it doesn't look like anybody reviewed Trump's latest plans.
UNILAD has contacted the White House for comment on the matter.