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The title is misleading. The FBI and DHS are seizing shipments of PPE. > Before we could send the funds by wire transfer, two Federal Bureau of Investigation a

by mfer 7y ago

The title is misleading. The FBI and DHS are seizing shipments of PPE. > Before we could send the funds by wire transfer, two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrived, showed their badges, and started questioning me. No, this shipment was not headed for resale or the black market. The agents checked my credentials, and I tried to convince them that the shipment of PPE was bound for hospitals. After receiving my assurances and hearing about our health system’s urgent needs, the agents let the boxes of equipment be released and loaded into the trucks. Turns out there is a black market for PPE right now. The FBI should be investigating odd sales, like the one described in the article. Some of them will be black market dealing taking PPE away from hospitals that need it. This is the part that bothers me... > But I was soon shocked to learn that the Department of Homeland Security was still considering redirecting our PPE. Only some quick calls leading to intervention by our congressional representative prevented its seizure. So, after they showed it was for a hospital and the FBI (who investigates federal crimes like black market deals) was satisfied. The the DoH wants to step in and redirect until a congressional rep steps in. That's the odd part to me.

FireBeyond 7y ago
> The the DoH wants to step in and redirect until a congressional rep steps in. That's the odd part to me. Not the DoH, DHS, Homeland Security. Whose oversight of the COVID-19 management is being coordinated with Jared Kushner. It has been heavily implied, sometimes outright stated, that some of these "redirections" are going to states who are "being nice" to the President. I would be entirely unsurprised to learn that others are going to "battleground" states (in the election sense, not the disease sense). Or to "government authorized private contractors" for resale (with its own due sense of irony).
- WorkingDead 7y ago
  The more likely scenario is that the government is inefficient and you have multiple agencies chasing the same issue and not talking to each other.
  - jasonlotito 7y ago
    Well, just read through the other threads here. You'll see that goods are being seized and redirected based on the whim of the President for his friends and allies. This is happening.
  - ethbro 7y ago
    The question is what possible orders DHS could have from their leadership that would make seizing PPE destined for a hospital even considerable.
- ilikehurdles 7y ago
  A republican fundraiser started Blueflame Medical at the end of March and boasts of being able to fill 100 million orders of masks and PPE. I don't know how he secured these supply lines out of thin air, but I wouldn't be surprised if the federal government is indirectly propping up their stockpile with these seized shipments.
  - tomohawk 7y ago
    Innuendo and rumor mongering? That's where HN is now? These are serious accusations, and you owe it to the rest of us to provide some serious proof. EDIT: And no, politico is not serious, nor does it address this innuendo: > I wouldn't be surprised if the federal government is indirectly propping up their stockpile with these seized shipments.
    - AareyBaba 7y ago
      https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundrais... http://archive.is/pyVeC http://archive.is/pyVeC
  - NortySpock 7y ago
    Do you have a source for this claim?
    - FireBeyond 7y ago
      https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundrais... Some choice quotes: > Asked how he’d managed to procure such equipment when there are shortages in hospitals across the country, Gula said, “I have relationships with a lot of people.” > Thomas declined to specify how he and Gula had managed to obtain masks that have become so rare that some hospitals have resorted to reusing them or having health care workers tie bandannas or scarfs around their faces. “It’s just relationship-based,” he said. “I can’t say anything else.” > “I don’t want to overstate, but we probably represent the largest global supply chain for Covid-19 supplies right now,” he said. “We are getting ready to fill 100 million-unit mask orders.” This last one is the kicker. This guy, who works with/for the Republican party, is able to set up shop in TWO WEEKS, "the largest global supply chain", "based off of relationships", and alarm bells aren't ringing? I would love for someone to buy masks from Blue Flame, and check lot numbers / serial numbers on those supplies, and see who the original intended recipients were.
- munk-a 7y ago
  There is a bunch of issues with the US government that this administration has revealed, but I'd really love to see some stronger anti-nepotism laws rolled out, maybe coupled with some anti-dynastic laws to prevent familial repeats with elected officials that came to power in a large part due to legacy.
  - karatestomp 7y ago
    This is yet another problem that exists largely because our system stabilized at two parties. In a coalition-based system one party being this blatantly and continuously corrupt would risk turning their coalition members against them. As it is, turns out you can just dig in and ignore complaints for years and nothing happens.
    - munk-a 7y ago
      Here, sadly, I disagree. I believe a lot of problems arise from having a concentrated two party system but up here in Canada Trudeau #2 the re-trudeauening has happened - now, Trudeau isn't a terrible leader and hasn't felt significantly different from any other Liberal candidate, but nepotism and dynasticism is a problem all across the world when not actively fought against.
- op00to 7y ago
  the resale bit is happening for sure.
Quinner 7y ago
Black market? What laws are being broken? The only thing illegal about this is the Federal government seizing the product.
anigbrowl 7y ago
The headline as written is unfair to the FBI, yes. To DHS, not so much.
dsfyu404ed 7y ago
>The the DoH wants to step in and redirect until a congressional rep steps in. That's the odd part to me. Doesn't seem odd to me "we're right, you're wrong and we're not changing course because that would be a tacit admission that you're right and we're wrong" is a pretty standard knee jerk response from government agencies that are used to getting their way. I suspect that Dr. Artenstein picked up on this right away and that's why he called whichever congressman he called.

by mfer 7y ago

FireBeyond 7y ago

> The the DoH wants to step in and redirect until a congressional rep steps in. That's the odd part to me. Not the DoH, DHS, Homeland Security. Whose oversight of the COVID-19 management is being coordinated with Jared Kushner. It has been heavily implied, sometimes outright stated, that some of these "redirections" are going to states who are "being nice" to the President. I would be entirely unsurprised to learn that others are going to "battleground" states (in the election sense, not the disease sense). Or to "government authorized private contractors" for resale (with its own due sense of irony).

WorkingDead 7y ago
The more likely scenario is that the government is inefficient and you have multiple agencies chasing the same issue and not talking to each other.
- jasonlotito 7y ago
  Well, just read through the other threads here. You'll see that goods are being seized and redirected based on the whim of the President for his friends and allies. This is happening.
- ethbro 7y ago
  The question is what possible orders DHS could have from their leadership that would make seizing PPE destined for a hospital even considerable.
ilikehurdles 7y ago
A republican fundraiser started Blueflame Medical at the end of March and boasts of being able to fill 100 million orders of masks and PPE. I don't know how he secured these supply lines out of thin air, but I wouldn't be surprised if the federal government is indirectly propping up their stockpile with these seized shipments.
- tomohawk 7y ago
  Innuendo and rumor mongering? That's where HN is now? These are serious accusations, and you owe it to the rest of us to provide some serious proof. EDIT: And no, politico is not serious, nor does it address this innuendo: > I wouldn't be surprised if the federal government is indirectly propping up their stockpile with these seized shipments.
  - AareyBaba 7y ago
    https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundrais... http://archive.is/pyVeC http://archive.is/pyVeC
- NortySpock 7y ago
  Do you have a source for this claim?
  - FireBeyond 7y ago
    https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundrais... Some choice quotes: > Asked how he’d managed to procure such equipment when there are shortages in hospitals across the country, Gula said, “I have relationships with a lot of people.” > Thomas declined to specify how he and Gula had managed to obtain masks that have become so rare that some hospitals have resorted to reusing them or having health care workers tie bandannas or scarfs around their faces. “It’s just relationship-based,” he said. “I can’t say anything else.” > “I don’t want to overstate, but we probably represent the largest global supply chain for Covid-19 supplies right now,” he said. “We are getting ready to fill 100 million-unit mask orders.” This last one is the kicker. This guy, who works with/for the Republican party, is able to set up shop in TWO WEEKS, "the largest global supply chain", "based off of relationships", and alarm bells aren't ringing? I would love for someone to buy masks from Blue Flame, and check lot numbers / serial numbers on those supplies, and see who the original intended recipients were.
munk-a 7y ago
There is a bunch of issues with the US government that this administration has revealed, but I'd really love to see some stronger anti-nepotism laws rolled out, maybe coupled with some anti-dynastic laws to prevent familial repeats with elected officials that came to power in a large part due to legacy.
- karatestomp 7y ago
  This is yet another problem that exists largely because our system stabilized at two parties. In a coalition-based system one party being this blatantly and continuously corrupt would risk turning their coalition members against them. As it is, turns out you can just dig in and ignore complaints for years and nothing happens.
  - munk-a 7y ago
    Here, sadly, I disagree. I believe a lot of problems arise from having a concentrated two party system but up here in Canada Trudeau #2 the re-trudeauening has happened - now, Trudeau isn't a terrible leader and hasn't felt significantly different from any other Liberal candidate, but nepotism and dynasticism is a problem all across the world when not actively fought against.
op00to 7y ago
the resale bit is happening for sure.

Quinner 7y ago

Black market? What laws are being broken? The only thing illegal about this is the Federal government seizing the product.

anigbrowl 7y ago

The headline as written is unfair to the FBI, yes. To DHS, not so much.

dsfyu404ed 7y ago

>The the DoH wants to step in and redirect until a congressional rep steps in. That's the odd part to me. Doesn't seem odd to me "we're right, you're wrong and we're not changing course because that would be a tacit admission that you're right and we're wrong" is a pretty standard knee jerk response from government agencies that are used to getting their way. I suspect that Dr. Artenstein picked up on this right away and that's why he called whichever congressman he called.