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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

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.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
wmeredith 7y ago
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
- braythwayt 7y ago
  I think your statement is true, but I question whether the statement you are replying to is extraordinary given the track record this President and their administration have had since 2016. Speaking as someone from outside the US, it feels like this story is plausible. The fact is, they have displayed zero accountability for what they are doing with their stockpile. That is extraordinary in and of itself. Why aren't they transparent about who gets what? And what about the 500 ventilators that Colorado arranged to purchase, which were diverted by the Federal Government, which then provided 100 to Colorado, while criticizing the "blue" Governor, but praising the "red" senator, saying that the ventilators were the result of the senator's lobbying. That looks a lot like the exact thing being discussed here. https://www.denverpost.com/2020/04/08/colorado-coronavirus-ventilators-trump-gardner/ https://www.denverpost.com/2020/04/08/colorado-coronavirus-v... Evidence should still be demanded before action like lawsuits, impeachments, &c. are considered, but I suggest there's room to call this plausible speculation, rather than an extraordinary claim.
  - twomoretime 7y ago
    >is extraordinary given the track record this President and their administration have had since 2016 Do you know how many "Trump admin seizes masks" and related corruption stories have been quietly retracted in the last month? I'm not saying the administration is innocent but it's nearly impossible to accurately evaluate what's going on because almost every media source puts spin on what should be primary source reporting. Even the daily covid briefings receive real time antagonistic headlines from outlets like CNN. Even in your own example >FEMA bought 500 ventilators out from under state, governor said last week So they were outbid at the last second. But all over the thread the sentiment is that they were "seized". Not the first time people's eagerness has opened them to false conclusions influenced by media.
    - deleted 7y ago
vajrabum 7y ago
Worth a read. “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.” He being John Thomas the political operative turn business associate of Mike Gula. (Mike Gula) said he decided to trade in fundraising to sell medical supplies “because nobody was doing it. Because the president and the vice president were asking people to help.” https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundrais...
- FireBeyond 7y ago
  > to sell medical supplies “because nobody was doing it They seriously think that we are all unquestioning, credulous simpletons.
  - Brave-Steak 7y ago
    Judging by plenty of comments here, it's clear that there are too many people who actually are. And if they do question something, they'll question the people who bring this despicable behaviour to attention, because it doesn't fit into their world view - obviously, nobody could ever be that corrupt.

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.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

wmeredith 7y ago

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

braythwayt 7y ago
I think your statement is true, but I question whether the statement you are replying to is extraordinary given the track record this President and their administration have had since 2016. Speaking as someone from outside the US, it feels like this story is plausible. The fact is, they have displayed zero accountability for what they are doing with their stockpile. That is extraordinary in and of itself. Why aren't they transparent about who gets what? And what about the 500 ventilators that Colorado arranged to purchase, which were diverted by the Federal Government, which then provided 100 to Colorado, while criticizing the "blue" Governor, but praising the "red" senator, saying that the ventilators were the result of the senator's lobbying. That looks a lot like the exact thing being discussed here. https://www.denverpost.com/2020/04/08/colorado-coronavirus-ventilators-trump-gardner/ https://www.denverpost.com/2020/04/08/colorado-coronavirus-v... Evidence should still be demanded before action like lawsuits, impeachments, &c. are considered, but I suggest there's room to call this plausible speculation, rather than an extraordinary claim.
- twomoretime 7y ago
  >is extraordinary given the track record this President and their administration have had since 2016 Do you know how many "Trump admin seizes masks" and related corruption stories have been quietly retracted in the last month? I'm not saying the administration is innocent but it's nearly impossible to accurately evaluate what's going on because almost every media source puts spin on what should be primary source reporting. Even the daily covid briefings receive real time antagonistic headlines from outlets like CNN. Even in your own example >FEMA bought 500 ventilators out from under state, governor said last week So they were outbid at the last second. But all over the thread the sentiment is that they were "seized". Not the first time people's eagerness has opened them to false conclusions influenced by media.
  - deleted 7y ago

vajrabum 7y ago

Worth a read. “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.” He being John Thomas the political operative turn business associate of Mike Gula. (Mike Gula) said he decided to trade in fundraising to sell medical supplies “because nobody was doing it. Because the president and the vice president were asking people to help.” https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundrais...

FireBeyond 7y ago
> to sell medical supplies “because nobody was doing it They seriously think that we are all unquestioning, credulous simpletons.
- Brave-Steak 7y ago
  Judging by plenty of comments here, it's clear that there are too many people who actually are. And if they do question something, they'll question the people who bring this despicable behaviour to attention, because it doesn't fit into their world view - obviously, nobody could ever be that corrupt.