Assembly Committee Chair Says FEMA’s contradiction of AshBritt CEO Begs the Question
Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee Chair Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. on Friday questioned whether New Jersey taxpayers are at risk due to conflicting statements that arose out of a joint legislative hearing today on the no-bid debris removal contract awarded by the Christie administration to Florida-based company AshBritt in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
“This hearing raised a lot of valid questions today, the most glaring being whether or not FEMA approved AshBritt’s no-bid contract and the generous rates that came along with it? While AshBritt’s CEO maintains that FEMA officials blessed the contract, FEMA officials have plainly stated that they did no such thing.
“At the end of this lengthy hearing, we still have yet to determine the truth. If FEMA has not, in fact, approved of this contract, it could potentially jeopardize New Jersey’s reimbursement rates, essentially leaving taxpayers on the hook to cover more of the massive clean-up costs.
“The question we now must ask is, “Are New Jersey taxpayers at risk here?'”