Trump Sons-Linked Firm Won Nearly $40M in Ebola Screening Funds
The Trump administration awarded XpresTest nearly $40 million to screen for Ebola and other diseases. A fund tied to the president's elder sons invested in its parent company in February.
- $20 million came from the State Department for outbreak response in Congo.
- $18.8 million came from the CDC for Ebola screening at U.S. airports.
- 7 times the value of all direct government contracts the company previously held.
- Parent company XWELL earned most of its revenue last year from spas and waxing salons.
Why it matters: The award tests how Washington handles global outbreaks after leaving the WHO and dismantling USAID. The State Department's America First Global Health Strategy calls for aid that promotes American companies.
- Jeremy Konyndyk, who helped lead the 2014 Ebola response, questioned picking a firm with no Africa experience.
- Nonprofits including Save the Children and International Medical Corps received $25 million to $35 million each.
How 4 sources split on this story
Where they split: The dispute is whether the contracts were won on merit through competitive bidding or reflect the Trump family's financial ties to the company.
Left coverage, 3 sources: The left sees the contracts as another case of the Trump family profiting from administration decisions, with public health stakes attached.
What’s next: XWELL CEO Ezra Ernst said of the Congo work, "This is a risky contract. I'm not sure we can do it."
- The State Department said its award came through a competitive process building on XpresTest's airport screening record.
- A spokesperson said Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had no involvement in any contract procurement.
- How many firms bid on the contracts, and how were they scored?
- Can XpresTest deliver outbreak response in Congo without prior international experience?
- Why has the CDC not explained its $18.8 million award?
