The two-man Montana company that was awarded a $300 million contract to restore electricity to Puerto Rico -- thanks to its connection to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke -- threatened to pull out of the island territory in a tantrum over a request for more transparency about its contract.
The Hill reported Wednesday that Whitefish Energy lashed out on Twitter at San Juan's Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who is one of the many people who have raised questions about the deal.
Whitefish executives issued a statement on Wednesday saying that they believe Yulín Cruz's concerns are "misplaced."
She responded by pointing out that she is hardly the only party raising concerns about the federal government awarding such a crucial project to a small and inexperienced firm that just happens to have a longstanding relationship with Zinke. Congressional Democrats have opened an inquiry and on Wednesday, Yulín Cruz called for the contract to be voided.
You would think I am the only one in the world that has commented on this. What is it about women having an opinion… https://t.co/7Sd2JZXDGh— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@Carmen Yulín Cruz) 1508953630.0
Whitefish Energy responded by getting huffy and threatening to turn around and leave.
@CarmenYulinCruz We’ve got 44 linemen rebuilding power lines in your city & 40 more men just arrived. Do you want u… https://t.co/LtoK507XHE— Whitefish Energy (@Whitefish Energy) 1508959657.0
Yulín Cruz slammed the company's unprofessionalism.
“They are threatening not to do their job which frankly is quite irregular for a company hired to the work for the public sector,” she wrote, before calling out their "political motivations."
@WhitefishEnergy @WhitefishEnergy implies that you will not treat the City of San Juan with the diligence it deserv… https://t.co/5tvxuXzUH5— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@Carmen Yulín Cruz) 1508961073.0
More than a month after Hurricane Maria made landfall, fewer people on the island have electricity that in the immediate wake of the storm. Currently, 75 percent of the island's 3.4 million residents are without power and still, more than a quarter of the population has no access to clean water.
The death toll on the island rose to 50 on Wednesday as two more people died of the disease leptospirosis, a result of drinking water that has been contaminated with animal urine.