Posted on 12/30/2013 1:58:02 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
WASHINGTON Hillary Rodham Clintons State Department is spending $5.4 million to buy fine crystal stemware for American embassies but it wont give the US economy much of a boost.
The contract was given to a tiny Washington, DC, interior designer, which in turn subcontracted the crystal work to a Swedish firm snubbing such US companies as the famous manufacturer in Clintons own back yard, Steuben Crystal of upstate Corning.
The firm didnt even get a chance to bid on the contract, which will outfit embassies and ambassadors residences with fancy crystal for ritzy functions.
Ironically, under the no-bid contract, some of the crystal is to be custom-crafted to include the seal of the United States, although Swedes will do all of the manufacturing.
Contracting rules require any American firms that subcontract work to use a domestic firm or get a waiver.
The firm that got the contract, Systems Design Inc., is a small interior-design firm in tony Georgetown. The company, which is eligible for minority small-business contracts, does not appear to have done any similar work.
After getting the contract in September, the firm subcontracted to Swedish glassmaker Orrefors/Kosta Boda USA.
Department spokesman Darby Holladay said Systems Design couldnt find a domestic producer who could meet the 100 percent lead-free requirement, although a Steuben spokesman said it does manufacture lead-free crystal.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Doesn’t this take the cake?
Doesnt this take the cake?
***
No, that would be the silver flatware.
;-)
This should be illegal, there was a time if we were doing construction work in a government facility we were required to use American Manufactured unless specs stated otherwise.
I wonder how much of that 5.4 million will find it’s way back to a Hillary Clinton PAC ?
My bet is 10 % of the top....
You can be sure the actual cost was probably around half of the $5.4 million reported— the rest is kickbacks to Clinton cronies.
It seems as though the owner of Systems Design, Inc was sentenced for fraud last year.
http://nypost.com/2011/07/14/decorator-gets-prison-stripes/
This is pretty outrageous ... BUT... technically it isn’t Clinton’s State Department anymore.
From the New York Post in 2011:
Decorator gets prison stripes
By Geoff Earle
July 14, 2011 | 4:00am
.WASHINGTON Darlene Mathis-Gardner, the DC interior designer who admitted to ripping off the government and who got a $5.4 million contract to design glassware for Hillary Rodham Clintons State Department now has 18 months to contemplate how to spruce up a jail cell.
Judge Richard Leon handed down the stiff sentence in federal court yesterday.
Mathis-Gardner also must pay restitution of $390,000 for using a string of fraudulent statements to get the Department of Homeland Security to hire her tiny firm for a $1.3 million interior-design job in 2007.
BUT, this happened when is WAS Clinton’s State Department and when the nation was in the throes of an unemployment crisis.
My apologies. I neglected to note the date on the story and assumed it was current.
You think like I do. The Democrat party is nothing but a money laundry.
When anything is done by Hillary, follow the $$$$$$$$$$$ first.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.