A President Donald Trump supporter claimed his company could acquire “several billion units” of highly sought after N95 surgical masks and sell them to local governments, hospitals and first responders, CBS News reports.
Eric Beach, co-founder of the Great America PAC, which has raised millions of dollars for Trump, formed Colt International, Inc. four days after Trump invoked the Defense Production Act. The Act authorized FEMA to "acquire" 3M’s N95 masks in April as the coronavirus was spreading through the country.
According to a letter obtained by CBS News, prospective customers were told that Colt International would “work directly with the 3M Corporation.” The letter was sent from one of Colt’s “preferred partners.” It was signed by Beach and contained his direct contact information.
Another document claimed that Colt’s relationship with 3M gave the company access to purchase a "current inventory" of "several billion units" of N95 masks.
The purchase price of the in-demand masks was 93 cents above 3M’s list price. Colt also requested a 10% commission on the final sale price.
Government procurement officials and medical suppliers told CBS News that middlemen, like Beach, are driving up the price of the masks.
"I don't know how somebody can have that many masks," Sheshank Kamalapuram, who runs an Atlanta-based medical supply company that buys protective equipment for hospitals and nursing homes, told CBS News, adding that 3M N95s are back-ordered up to three months.
"You can do the math," Kamalapuram said of Colt’s proposed $2.20 per mask price. "It is a lot of money. It's huge."
Kamalapuram said Colt’s claim to have access to millions of masks is probably unlikely.
"This is what's happening every day," Kamalapuram said. "You get hundreds of emails from people who claim to have millions of masks with them. I have stayed away from it because it's too dubious."
Virginia Finance Secretary Aubrey Layne, who is responsible for buying masks and other personal protective equipment for the state, said Colt’s claims raise a red flag.
"This is nothing more than a middleman looking for a commission," Layne said. "We would steer clear of solicitations like this."
3M told CBS News it has no professional relationship with Beach’s Colt International. The mask maker said it has seen middlemen trying to make money by making false allegations about relationships with their company.
Beach told CBS News he has no professional relationship with 3M and that he "only worked to connect medical buyers through various contacts."
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