Revealed: Michelle Obama's Princeton classmate is top executive at firm that that built disastrous Obamacare website after being awarded no-bid $93m contract

Michelle Obama’s Princeton classmate is an executive at the company that built Obamacare website



Toni Townes-Whitley is senior vice president at CGI Federal which earned contract to build the site. She joined in May 2010



The women are both members of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni

The Department of Health and Human Services reviewed only CGI’s bid for the Obamacare account even though four companies submitted bids

CGI became an approved government vendor in 2007



The Obama administration has been accused of cronyism after it was revealed Michelle Obama's Princeton classmate is an executive at the company contracted to build the beleaguered Obamacare website.



Toni Townes-Whitley is senior vice president at CGI Federal, the U.S. arm of a Canadian company which won the no-bid contract for the problem-plagued website.



Townes-Whitley, from the Princeton class of ’85, and Michelle Obama are members of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni, according to The Daily Caller.

Friends: First Lady Michelle Obama (left) and Toni-Townes Whitley, CGI Federal senior vice president, were classmates at Princeton



Earlier this month, Washington Examiner reported the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid handed CGI Obamacare account without putting the contract out to competitive tender.

It has since been revealed four companies submitted bids, but only CGI was considered for the $93 million Healthcare.gov contract.



Washington Examiner reported this is because CGI became an approved government vendor in 2007.

This meant the company could be assigned government contracts worth up to $4 billion until 2017 without having to bid publicly for them.



The company was approved before Barack Obama was first inaugurated in 2009.

Townes-Whitley reportedly joined CGI in May 2010.

CGI was one of 16 companies qualified under the Bush administration to provide certain tech services to the federal government.

Tech bugs with Healthcare.gov aren't limited to the sign-up process: Data files getting to insurance companies are often flawed as well

However the discovery of Michelle Obama's relationship with a top executive at CGI Federal has sparked a social media storm, with Twitter punters accusing the Obama administration of cronyism.

Dan Carpenter ‏wrote: 'Isn't this cozy?????"Toni Townes-Whitley, Princeton class of ’85, is senior vice president at CGI.'



Citizenwells ‏wrote: 'CGI Obamacare website contract Obamas (Barack & Michelle) crony capitalism or poor judgement.'



Radio personality Mark Simone wrote: 'How did bumbling CGI get a $678 mill no-bid contract to build the website? They were friends with Michelle.'



Meanwhile, Washington Examiner reported CGI has a troubled track record for the delivery of government contracts, highlighting a time when it failed to meet the deadline for a new online medical registry for diabetes patients and treatment providers.

Ontario, Canada, government officials cancelled the $46.2 million contract after 14 months of delay in September 2012. Ontario officials currently refuse to pay any fees to CGI for the failed IT project.







