REVEALED: Federal health contract funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump allies
At least eight former White House, presidential transition and campaign officials for President Donald Trump were hired as outside contractors to the federal health department at the cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, according to documents newly obtained by POLITICO.
But under the terms hammered out last year, revealed for the first time, CMS agreed to allow at least four consultants to bill up to $204,000 over the length of the contract. That included one longtime Verma ally — Marcus Barlow, her spokesperson while she was an Indiana-based consultant to then-Gov. Mike Pence — who was greenlighted to bill as much as $425,000 for about a year’s worth of work.
Story continuesNahigian Strategies is run by brothers Ken Nahigian — who led the Trump transition team in early 2017 — and Keith Nahigian, who has worked for multiple GOP presidential campaigns. Over a four-month period reviewed by POLITICO, Nahigian Strategies collectively charged $275,565 for a range of strategic communications duties, and the brothers themselves billed roughly $56,970 for their personal services at a $379.80 hourly rate.
Lynn Hatcher, a former intern for Vice President Mike Pence before joining Nahigian Strategies, and Justin Caporale, who was a top aide in the Trump White House, briefly worked on behalf of CMS after leaving the White House. CMS called its use of contractors appropriate and in line with long-standing practices, contending in a statement that it did not have the in-house staff needed to carry out an ambitious messaging campaign promoting Verma's policy priorities for the agency.
Verma, who herself previously worked as an independent consultant, has played a central and controversial role in crafting the Trump administration's health agenda as its top official in charge of Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Even before the strategic communications contract took effect in September 2018, Nahigian Strategies had served as a subcontractor in earlier arrangements, according to emails and separate contracting documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests — during which it played a key role in shaping Verma’s messages and handling her interactions with the press.
At a congressional hearing last month, Verma defended the contract and her broader use of consultants.
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