US Congressman’s Brother Lands No-Bid Contract to Train DHS Snipers

US division Homeland Security (DHS) This month, the second-term New York Republican US representative Nick Lalota’s brother Dan Lalota has given a Virginia firm a sniper and a quietly $ 30,000 no-bid deal for war training.

To be finalized on September 2, the award went to the Virginia Target Down Group of Mechanicsville, which would provide a five -day proper fire and observation course for the Homeland Security Investigation Sniper Program (SRT) Sniper Program. According to the records reviewed by the wired “this course is intended to notify the new DHS methods” aims to equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively conduct law enforcement snipper operations in a high-risky environment. “

The SRT acts as the agency version of a Swat team, which is made up of special agents with advanced strategic training in situations that are considered very dangerous for standard workers. SRT members wear military style camouflage and helmets, carry a variety of weapons and training in violations, snipper techniques and closed-quarter fighting.

According to the Federal Collection Record, the SRT agreement was issued on a sole source basis, officials mentioned the pre-work of the Law-Fire practice in Arizona, along with the previous work of the group in addition to the Homeland Security investigation.

Congress member Lolota, who served on the House Homeland Security Committee in the previous session, could not be reached for comment. The offices in its New York and Washington, DC’s calls were on Thursday.

DHS did not respond to any request for commenting.

Arriving on the phone, Dan Lalota said that his firm’s agreement had nothing to do with IC with his brother’s position in the Congress. “I’m not a new guy in the block,” he told Ward, that only a few people have become eligible for the training to request DHS. “My company is the only one who will be eligible to say.”

Lalota added that he could not speak for the IC and refused to discuss the work details of his organization, calling the questions as a privacy attack on his firm’s website while calling the questions as a privacy attack as a privacy attack.

The target -down group website listed Retired Marine Sniper Dan Lalota as the president of the company. According to his brother Congressional biographyLalota achieved a bronze star in Iraq’s Faluzah with a bronze star with Force Reconception and Marine Special Operations Command for two decades with Marine Corps. Lalota told Ward that he had seven years as a scout snipper trainer.

Federal Collection Records List is the target down group as a Virginia Organization; However, state records show that the firm is not legally allowed to serve as a Virginia Corporation at the moment, ending after Failure to meet the annual filing and fee requirements with the state’s corporate registry in November 2024. Nevertheless, the company was registered separately in Florida until July. (Asked about this significance, the target down group CEO Christopher Allison acknowledged the investigation but did not comment.)

Federal acquisition rules allows a single-source agreement on certain terms, effectively bypass the competitive bidding process for the federal award. A reddacted equitable memoThe DHS says that the target down group was the only seller, capable of training, a strict operational schedule as well as its snipper program had earlier work with the firm and the Arizona police, some of whom would participate in this practice.

Lalota has refused to discuss any previous work for the government. “I don’t have the freedom to discuss what business I have with strangers like myself, I hope you will understand it,” he said.

In June, NBC News Report SRT units were preparing to deploy several Democratic -led cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle and New York. The planned deployment followed the immigration campaign in Los Angeles that started a few days Protest And Collision with law enforcementThe Philadelphia officials told the NBC that they did not receive any notice of the coming ice force.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly saved federal law enforcement and national guard troops in the blue fort claiming that they have been overwhelmed by “abducted crime”, a details critics have called critics exaggerated and politically powered. Local and state officials in cities like Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans have resisted against deployment, arguing that they have been inspired by politics, not public safety.