Rot starts at the top - from NOQ Report:
Did Washington decline buying PPE because of bad optics for Governor Inslee?
An odd story came out this week on The Seattle Times that seemed on the surface to be an “exposé” on Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s dealing with a cousin who wanted to sell the state personal protective equipment (PPE) in the early stages of the coronavirus crisis. But it was conspicuously devoid of attention to real issues in how the Governor handled the situation. Instead of being an “exposé,” it seemed like it was running cover for the Governor’s actions.
The headline seemed damning. “Gov. Inslee connected personal contacts with Washington state officials in hunt for coronavirus supplies.” But even the headline was a nicer version of reality. It wasn’t “personal contacts” as most would picture them. It was a first cousin, someone who shared the Inslee name. It’s the type of omission that mainstream media—especially at the local level in far-left cities like Seattle—often use to cover for mistakes made by Democrats.
The elephant in the room that does get mentioned in the article is the fact that Mark Inslee, the Governor’s first cousin, was trying to sell the state PPE from Greater China Industries, a Bellevue-based importer whose CEO, Ben Zhang, is a supporter of the Governor to the tune of $6800. Mark Inslee made sure to remind the Governor of this fact in communications to his personal email account.
An hour later, Gov. Inslee forwarded the email to Washington state’s head of emergency management. “This is my cousin who is a reputable business person, even though he bears the name Inslee,” the governor wrote from his personal email account. “Just providing this info to you to use as you deem fit.”
So far, so good. It’s light on the nepotism. He notes that the supplier he’s forwarding is his cousin and does not appear to be pressuring for a deal to be made. In a standard situation, it is likely the Governor would have told his cousin to go through proper channels, but the coronavirus crisis has forced many, including Washington, to abandon the use of proper channels for the sake of expediency. If the story ended here with the state declining to make a deal with Greater China Industries, everything would have been in order.
But, everything was not in order. More at the site. Politics and Democrats ensuring that the narrative is preserved. Must preserve the narrative at all costs.
There is a very interesting person running for Governor this time - Loren Culp. If you are familiar with the fictional character of Walt Longmire, you are very close to who Culp is. Police chief, dead honest. Smart and zero bullshit. He will be a breath of fresh air for Washington State - a good Governor.
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