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Lawmakers Grill Officials Over State Pepsi Contract
On the heels of a scathing audit a month ago, members of an Illinois House committee raked state revenue officials over the coals for the way they handled a soft drink contract. The five-year, $64 million deal gives Pepsi exclusive rights to have its products in state facilities, including some universities.

Coca-Cola cried foul and suggested it was not given a fair shot. State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock), chairman of the State Government Administration Committee, says that not only potentially cheats Coke, it also may have cost the state a better deal.

State revenue director Brian Hamer took issue with Franks' assertion that "the fix was in" for Pepsi from the start, and Franks later apologized for the harshness of that remark. Hamer says the process looks flawed in hindsight, but the decision appeared to be the correct one at the time.

Franks and the representative who championed Coke's cause, Rep. Susana Mendoza (D-Chicago), both call for the whole thing to be re-bid. Sean Vinck, legislative counsel in the governor's office, says the administration is considering having an independent monitor involved in all matters of procurement.

In March, an auditor general's report cited, among other things, the involvement of the governor's office under then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and also wondered why the soft drink contract was handled by the Department of Revenue rather than through Central Management Services.

(Illinois Radio Network)
04 30 09 by Newsroom
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