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Nothing like a self-inflicted wound to start your day.

Today’s Washington Post reports that the FDA awarded a no-bid, $300,000 contract for public relations services. “The plan used a circuitous route around the standard government contracting procedures. The contract was awarded in July to Alaska Newspapers Inc., a firm owned by an Alaska Native corporation that does not have to compete for federal work because it qualifies for special set-asides. The idea was for ANI to hand over the work to Qorvis Communications …” (a Washington, DC public relations firm). 

So, not only was it a no-bid contract, it was a sham one as well – hiding an inside-the-Beltway public relations deal behind the façade of a contract with a minority contractor from Alaska.  (Anybody out there miss the irony?)

After being made aware of The Post's findings, FDA deputy commissioner John Dyer said he had suspended the contract and ordered an independent investigation.

Too little too late.

And check out this amateurish spin -- Qorvis’ Don Goldberg told the Post that “It was not appropriate (for the FDA) to hire Qorvis directly.”  But it was okay for the agency to hire Qorvis indirectly -- via an intermediary that has no relevance to the task?  Come on.  And, get this – Goldberg leads Qorvis’ crisis communications practice!

When I was at the FDA as Associate Commissioner for External Relations, my budget for public outreach was zero dollars.  We did consider hiring an outside PR agency and did what the agency is supposed to do – issue an RFP for the assignment.  (We opted, at the end of the day, not to hire an agency.) And the budget at the time was $30,000 – ten times less than the no-bid Qorvis deal.

For the FDA to issue a shady $300,000 no-bid contract for any service is wrong – to do so for public relations services is tragic.  

Embarassing.  Foolish.  Damaging.

And needlessly so.