Brian Hudson, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency was not contacted by anyone in the office of governor Ed Rendell in regard to the 2003 no-bid contract awarded by the agency to CDR Financial Products, Hudson told TPMmuckraker moments ago.
Hudson said that at that time, only two firms had the technical expertise to do the bond-swap advisory work the agency sought, and that CDR Financial was selected over a rival, Swap Advisors, simply because its appeared to “bring more to the table.”
Hudson added he had been pleased with the company’s work, saying that CDR had saved the PHFA $2-3 million, and that the agency had renewed its contract with the firm each year, and continues to employ it.
But he allowed that he was troubled by the allegations against CDR, and would reconsider the agency’s ongoing relationship with the firm when its contract came up for renewal in March.
Hudson added that he had never heard of Alan Kessler, the Rendell fundraiser who records show, has lobbied for CDR.
As we noted earlier, Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell has received at least $35,000 in contributions from CDR founder David Rubin. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who also received money from Rubin, this weekend withdrew his nomination to be Commerce Secretary citing a federal probe into the company’s contracts with his state.