- A firm linked to the president secured a no-bid $1.7 million contract from the National Park Service to install a water purification system at the Reflecting Pool.
- The contract was awarded to Ohio-based Greenwater Services, which had only one prior federal contract, bypassing the usual competitive bidding process.
- Days after a $14 million refurbishment, the Reflecting Pool turned green with algae, prompting scrutiny of the no-bid contract.
- Greenwater Services is owned by John J. Cafaro, who has contributed over $300,000 to political committees affiliated with the president and lives near his Mar-a-Lago resort.
- The National Park Service justified the emergency exemption by stating the system needed to be installed before the nation's 250th anniversary, while workers are now attempting to clear the algae.
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