BREATH-TAKING

Trump Administration Cancels $50 Million Mask Contract With Company That Doesn’t Make Masks

The contract was canceled after the little-known Virginia defense company failed to deliver on the $50 million order.

The federal government has canceled a $55 million contract for face masks that was signed last month with a small Virginia firm with no history in the mask business, The Washington Post reports. The little-known defense company, Panthera, was reportedly contracted to provide 10 million N95 masks for the U.S. government’s coronavirus response—but failed to deliver, according to a FEMA spokeswoman. One of the company’s executives, James Punelli, told the Post in mid-April that that the masks would be provided before May 1 “for certain, in full and with a very high-quality product.” However, the company first requested a 10-day extension to May 11, then an additional four-day extension to May 15. FEMA denied the second request and moved to cancel the contract Tuesday, a day after the deadline.