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Article snippet: A massive rebuilding contract between Puerto Rico and a small Montana energy company has sparked controversy and raised questions about relief efforts after Hurricane Maria. The $300 million contract between the stricken island’s power utility and two-year-old firm Whitefish Energy Holdings is looking more and more unusual each day. On Friday, the Trump administration distanced itself from the contract, which the White House, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Interior Secretary MORE all said Puerto Rican officials were responsible for having signed. “The federal government has nothing to do with this contract or the process. This was something solely determined by the Puerto Rican government,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. “As we understand, there is an ongoing audit, and we’ll look forward to seeing the results of that later.” Zinke, who comes from the same Montana town as Whitefish Energy, said he had “absolutely nothing” to do with the company receiving the contract. Zinke had come under scrutiny because of the coincidence of his hometown company getting the contract. “Any attempts by the dishonest media or political operatives to tie me to awarding or influencing any contract involving Whitefish are completely baseless,” he said in a statement. Zinke also had a separate conversation with Trump, telling the president in an Oval Office meeting on Friday that he had nothing to do with the contract. Zinke’s r... Link to the full article to read more