Trump administration disavows Puerto Rico power contract

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said today it had no involvement in the decision to award a $300 million contract to help restore Puerto Rico's power grid to a tiny Montana company in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's hometown.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said federal officials played no role in the selection of Whitefish Energy Holdings by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement any language in the controversial contract saying the agency approved of the deal with Whitefish is inaccurate. The contract said the utility would not pay costs unallowable under FEMA grants, but it also said, "The federal government is not a party to this contract."

The Trump administration is distancing itself from the issue amid a growing number of investigations and a bipartisan chorus of criticism from Capitol Hill.

The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general, an agency watchdog, confirmed federal auditors will review the Whitefish contract.

"As part of their standard procedure, they will conduct vetting to look for the presence of any inappropriate relationships," said Arlen Morales, a spokeswoman for the inspector general's office.

FEMA, which is part of Homeland Security, said it has not approved any reimbursement requests from the utility for money to cover ongoing repairs to the island's power grid after Hurricane Maria.