Maryland to pay $190K for consultants to help with Trump response
As Gov. Wes Moore prepares to cope with another Donald Trump presidential administration — which could cause upheaval in infrastructure, immigration and federal jobs — he’ll get help from private consultants at the cost of $190,000.
The deal with Accenture was not competitively bid; it piggybacks off an existing contract the consulting firm has with the University of Virginia. And at a total cost of $190,000, it falls under the general threshold of $200,000 that requires approval by the state’s Board of Public Works.
Moore’s office defended the deal in response to questions about the contract, which was first reported by The Baltimore Sun.
“Hiring outside consultant help is a standard part of any organization, and at a time of greater potential risk in regards to Maryland’s reliance on the federal government it is imperative that the state enlists outside expertise to prepare for any challenges we may face,” Moore spokesman Carter Elliott IV said in a statement.
State employees are leading the work of formulating plans for dealing with potential federal government actions, Elliott’s statement said, and the consultants will “bring additional knowledge” and “extend their reach and bandwidth.”
“With billions of dollars in potential liabilities for the state, it would be reckless of the Moore-Miller Administration to not be prepared for any challenges it may face due to new policy direction taken from the federal government,” the statement read.
The Democratic governor has vowed to protect Marylanders from potential ill effects of another Trump administration.
“We will vigorously defend the interests of all Marylanders, and we are ready to push back on this new administration when necessary,” Moore told members of his cabinet three days after the election.
Moore and his team spoke at that time about preparations being made to understand and respond to the next Trump presidency, but made no mention of the Accenture consulting contract. The Moore administration has not offered many specifics about the state’s potential actions.
