[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16479]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                       THE WHITEFISH ENERGY DEAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, there is something fishy about the 
Whitefish Energy deal that was reported in The Washington Post.
  Whitefish Energy, based in Whitefish, Montana, was awarded a $300 
million contract to repair and replace the electrical grid in Puerto 
Rico. We learned that the company is 2 years old and, as of about 6 
weeks ago, had just two employees. It does not have a track record of 
working on massive projects, certainly not one as massive as rebuilding 
the power grid in Puerto Rico after a once-in-a-century storm like 
Hurricane Maria.
  The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority did not solicit bids for 
this contract. They did not do what most power utilities do under these 
circumstances, which is rely on mutual assistant relationships with 
other power companies.
  In Florida and in Texas--and in Illinois, for that matter--after a 
big storm, power companies from around the country send linemen and 
other workers to assist the local company. But that is not happening 
here. The Florida Power and Light Company brought in 20,000 workers 
after Irma and, apparently, was willing to send workers to Puerto Rico 
and help, but the request for help never came.
  So what is going on here?
  A tiny company that does not have a track record gets one of the 
biggest contracts to help rebuild Puerto Rico in a no-bid, out-of-the-
ordinary contracting procedure.
  That is why I wrote yesterday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and 
FBI Director Christopher Wray, because I want them to investigate this 
deal, how it was awarded, why this company got the contract, and 
whether there is any evidence of it being a sweetheart, corrupt deal to 
boost business allies and political allies of the President and members 
of his Cabinet.
  I also plan to bring this issue up to the Oversight Committees in 
this body.
  On the surface, the Whitefish Energy deal looks fishy, but when you 
look a little deeper, the Whitefish Energy deal looks corrupt.
  Whitefish Energy is based in Whitefish, Montana. Guess what. That is 
the hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who used to represent 
Montana in this body. His son even worked for the company. The chief 
executive of Whitefish Energy, Andy Techmanski, knows Secretary Zinke; 
but as a spokesperson for the Interior Department said yesterday, in 
Whitefish, ``everybody knows everybody.''
  Guess what. That doesn't make me feel any better about the deal.
  Go a little deeper and you find out that Whitefish Energy is financed 
by HBC Investments, which is a private equity firm founded by Joe 
Colonnetta, who holds the title of general partner.
  The Daily Beast reported that Colonnetta gave $20,000 to the Trump 
Victory PAC, maxed out on contributions to Trump for his Presidential 
campaign in the primaries and general elections, about $32,000, then 
another $30,000 that he gave to the Republican National Committee. 
Kimberly Colonnetta, his wife, was also a maximum donor, meaning she 
gave the maximum allowed by law during the 2016 election to Trump and 
his various committees.
  Now, please look here, and the pictures are right off the Internet. 
They certainly add additional evidence to the idea that Whitefish and 
the Colonnettas are pretty chummy with our President and his Cabinet. 
Right here is Mr. Colonnetta with the President of the United States, 
the two Colonnettas at the inauguration, and a picture of Mrs. 
Colonnetta with Ben Carson, one of the President's Cabinet members.
  Don't forget, all you kids out there watching at home on C-SPAN, what 
you post on Facebook stays there forever.
  Now, I know that not everything that looks corruption is in fact 
corruption. Sometimes what looks fishy on the surface turns out to be 
legit, but most of the time, you know what, it turns out to be 
corruption.
  The reason this matters so much is that, without electricity, we 
can't get water restored to the people of Puerto Rico. Water doesn't 
flow uphill without pumps, and those pumps need power. You cannot live 
without water; you die. Dialysis machines, electrical wheelchairs, 
refrigeration for baby formula, insulin for diabetics, chemotherapy for 
those with cancer all require electricity. It is a matter of life and 
death.
  I was just there and saw the suffering of the people in the villages 
and towns across the island of Puerto Rico. Without electricity, we 
cannot get Puerto Ricans back to work rebuilding their island and 
beginning to end the suffering.
  Look, the last thing we and the people of Puerto Rico need right now 
is a fat cat lining his pockets with money because they are well 
connected.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. That money should be saving lives, not ending them.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. That is why I demand the FBI and the Attorney General 
investigate.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
  Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair and not to 
a perceived viewing audience.

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