A company with strong financial ties to President Donald Trump has been awarded billions of dollars in federal contracts to build the border wall, including projects in Arizona. Barnard Construction Company, Inc., an engineering contractor based in Bozeman, Montana, has received over $7 billion in federal border construction contracts since Trump returned to office.

Local Angle

The company’s contracts include projects in Arizona, such as building new lighting and technology along existing walls near the California-Arizona border, replacing existing walls across western Arizona’s Barry M. Goldwater Range, and constructing barrier fencing near Antelope Well.

Experts have raised concerns about the fairness of the contracting process, citing the company’s significant donations to Trump’s presidential campaigns and other Republican candidates. The company’s chairman, Tim Barnard, and his wife have contributed millions of dollars to Republican causes, including over $1 million to Trump’s presidential campaigns.

Contracting Process

The Trump administration has waived dozens of federal contracting laws to expedite construction of the border wall, and more than $28 billion in contracts have been awarded to a small group of companies. Barnard Construction is among the biggest winners, with over $5.6 billion in federal border construction contracts awarded since Trump returned to office.

Other contractors have expressed concerns about the lack of competitive bidding in the contracting process. In May, a New York-based contractor sued the federal government, alleging that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had promised the majority of new Texas and New Mexico wall construction contracts to just two companies, including Barnard Construction.

Original reporting: Arizona Luminaria — read the source article.