California official: Bad mask deals lost no taxpayer money

KATHLEEN RONAYNE

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California's top emergency official defended the state Monday over failed, high-priced deals for personal protective equipment, saying taxpayers haven't lost money and that the state was doing its best amid a worldwide mad dash for gear during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Given the thousands of commodities vetted, the tremendous pressure to source, and the significant amount of vendors we were dealing with, there were ultimately just a few that required us to either cancel the contract or seek reimbursement," Mark Ghilarducci, director of the s...