The White House distanced itself from the decision to award a $300 million contract to Whitefish Energy Holdings to help restore power to Puerto Rico, saying it was a “state and local decision” made by Puerto Rico authorities. The company is based in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s hometown.
The CEO of Whitefish Energy, the small Montana company under intense scrutiny for an up to $300 million contract to help restore power to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, said that he first made contact with officials on the island through the social networking site LinkedIn — and not through any previous connections.
In an interview with NBC News in San Juan, CEO Andy Techmanski responded to growing calls from Capitol Hill for the contract to be terminated.
"I think that there are people out there on a witch hunt looking for something that does not exist," he said.
Techmanski insists he first reached out to officials with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) — he did not name exactly who — through LinkedIn shortly after Hurricane Irma hit in early September. That storm knocked out power to 1 million.
