"When the County Executive’s gubernatorial campaign finance chair is the co-founder of the very law firm receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in county contracts, and the County Executive himself was once a partner at that firm, the administration has a heightened responsibility to prove the selection was based on merit—not political relationships.

Instead, we’re told to accept a so-called ‘mini-bid’ process with no public scoring, no published evaluation criteria, and no explanation of why this firm was selected over six others. That’s exactly the kind of opaque process that can create opportunities for corruption and undermine public confidence. In my opinion, the circumstances surrounding these contracts warrant a thorough independent investigation.