An Aerospace company that cut a deal with then President-elect Donald Trump in 2016 to keep jobs in the United States saw its Defense Department contract renewed this week to the tune of $2.5 billion — as the sole bidder.
As Reuters reported this week, United Technologies inked a new deal with the Pentagon to continue supplying aviation-related spare parts for the military through its subsidiary United Technologies Aerospace Systems.
After Trump won the election, he helped broker a deal with Carrier — another United Technologies subsidiary — to keep hundreds of jobs from being moved to Mexico.
The Washington Post noted Friday that the latest deal follows another one-bid contract negotiation with United Technologies subsidiary Pratt & Whitney, which resulted in the company winning a $2.74 billion contract with the Air Force.
United Technologies told the Post this week's contract award had nothing to do with the Carrier negotiations that occurred during Trump's transition.
Lexington Institute aerospace analyst Loren Thompson told the news outlet, "It's not that other people can't make [the parts referenced in the latest contract], but United Technologies holds patents that mean others are not allowed to make them.
"Sole-sourced contracts for these types of materials are not unusual, but $2.5 billion is unusually big."
According to Department of Defense rules, contract negotiations with only one company are allowed if the situation meets certain requirements, including whether the company bidding is the sole manufacturer or service provider of what's being offered.
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