Company Linked to Jan. 6 Got Millions in No-Bid Fed Contracts
NEWS & RESEARCH
Event Strategies, Inc., a Virginia-based event production company, has worked with President Trump since his 2015 campaign launch. They even helped plan the January 6, 2021 rally. When Trump returned to office in 2025, he made Event Strategies’ Managing Partner, Justin Caporale, his Executive Producer for Major Events. Critics cite the ESI deals as a stark example of taxpayer money benefiting presidential cronies. Experts, including retired contractor Lorna Tedder, note that ESI’s exemption from competitive bidding bypasses standard protocols and abuses a no-bid process intended only for dire emergencies, such as wartime or life-threatening situations.During the first Trump term, Event Strategies received about $186,000 in federal contracts. Since 2025, Event Strategies has secured over $22 million in federal contracts. More than $13 million of these funds were awarded through noncompetitive procedures (a/k/a “‘no-bid’ contracts”).
SOURCES: Wired | New York Times| Daily Beast | Mother Jones
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Critics cite the ESI deals as a stark example of taxpayer money benefiting presidential cronies. Experts, including retired contractor Lorna Tedder, note that ESI’s exemption from competitive bidding bypasses standard protocols and abuses a no-bid process intended only for dire emergencies, such as wartime or life-threatening situations. There are at least two issues: First, current law requires contractors to disclose many conflicts, but at this time, no law requires the disclosure of deep political connections with a party or politician. Second, while there are databases that track government contracting, the lag between the awards and their release to the public can allow politically connected firms to benefit from noncompetitive awards before Congress or the public can understand why competition was bypassed.
SOURCES: Congressional Rsearch Service | Brennan Center
HOW TO FIX IT
Federal action:
Federal action:
Pass the Transparency in Contracting Act of 2025, which requires reporting of price increases on noncompetitive contracts.”
Tighten Exemptions: Congress should narrowly define the "emergency" carve-outs that allow for sole-source or no-bid contracts.
Strengthen Oversight: Enhance conflict-of-interest statutes and enforcement mechanisms within federal contracting.
Rigorous Implementation: Support amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation to prevent organizational conflicts of interest in federal acquisitions.
Disclosure: Congress shiould pass a law that requires federal contractors seeking large awards to disclose substantial political relationships with senior executive branch officials, presidential campaigns, PACs, inaugural committees, etc.
Centraliize all “no-bid” contracts: Centralize all “no-bid” contracts or others that fit under exemptions in one place and require their public disclosure within 14 days.
Follow and support current investigations into federal contracting, such as those led by the End the Corruption Caucus.
Legislation: S.2809 - Transparency in Contracting Act of 2025
