The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has “significant concerns” with the process that led to a small electric company in Montana gaining a major contract to rebuild Puerto Rico’s energy grid, just as news has emerged that the contract has a no-audit clause.

FEMA says that it was not involved in the decision to award the $300 million contract to between the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and Whitefish Energy, a small electric company with just two fulltime employees located in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s hometown: Whitefish, Montana.

“Based on initial review and information from [Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority], FEMA has significant concerns with how PREPA procured this contract and has not confirmed whether the contract prices are reasonable,” FEMA wrote in a statement distancing the agency from the contracting process.

The contract, awarded in a no-bid process, includes a no-audit clause, which bars the federal government from reviewing the “cost and profit elements” of the agreement, according to a copy of the deal obtained by reporter Ken Klipperstein. That means that efforts to rebuild Puerto Rico’s electricity grid, which was devastated by the landfall of Hurricane Maria over a month ago, could be shrouded in secrecy.

The deal also contains a provision that prohibits the government from making “any claim against Contractor related to delayed completion of work," as well as $332.41 per day for worker accomodations each day (not including meals), according to Mr Klipperstein's copy of the contract.

The small energy company has been the subject of heavy criticism since the contract was awarded, with many wondering why a small company with just two full-time employees (it since hired more than 300 workers) found itself on the receiving end of a major contract with massive implications for an entire US territory.

Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Show all 20 1 /20 Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Kenney shelters under the blade of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit preparing to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit takes off behind Crew Chief Alexander Blake and his fellow soldiers during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew member Bynum stands in tropical rain as a HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit prepares to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Greenway receives a hug from a woman thanking him for water as he works with the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Verde de Comerio, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A man carries a case of water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Alexander Blake from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit loads water into a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo Reuters Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field to avoid lightning during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Manati, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents hold their hands aloft to signal that they need water as UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade fly past during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Tropical rain splashes on a runway as HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit wait for weather to clear during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Pilot Eldwin Bocanegra Torres speaks with residents isolated by landslides in the mountains after unloading water and food from a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents stand in front of wind-damaged trees as they wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico The contents of a home are seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Thomas looks out of the window of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit, loaded with relief supplies, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A message written on the rooftop is seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Humacao, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in San Sebastian, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado, who is from Puerto Rico, looks for a landing spot for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Boys carry water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, who is from Puerto Rico, speaks with residents as he helps during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents peek through a fence at helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit that had parked in a locked field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Lares, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Two House committees have launched investigations into the deal, backed by Congresspeople on both sides of the aisle, and the Department of Homeland Security is conducting a review of the deal.

“The size and terms of the contract, as well as the circumstances surrounding the contract’s formation, wise questions regarding PREPA’s standard contract awarding procedures,” Republican Representatives Bob Bishop and Bruce Westerman wrote in a statement.

Mr Bishop and Mr Westerman are both members of the House Natural Resources Committee.

This contract “raises every red flag in the book,” Senator Claire McCaskill, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, said.

The mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz — who has openly warred with President Donald Trump over his administration’s response to the crisis in Puerto Rico — has called for the deal to be voided, after a Twitter feud with the company in which they asked if she wanted them to stop working.

“We’ve got 44 linemen rebuilding power lines in your city & 40 more men just arrived. Do you want us to send them back or keep working?” Whitefish Energy tweeted at Ms Yulin Cruz this week.

Whitefish says that it welcomes an investigation, saying that the company “appreciates the efforts of the committees to gather information so that they have confidence in the overall process to support the people of Puerto Rico as well Whitefish Energy’s capabilities and commitment to deliver on the contract to help restore power and a sense of normalcy for the people of Puerto Rico.”

Whitefish Energy has been linked to the White House before. A main backer of the firm, HBC Investments, was a notable donor to Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign, forking over tens of thousands of dollars to the effort. And, Whitefish founder Andy Techmanski has noted that his family knows Mr Zinke.

The Interior Department has noted that in the town of Whitefish, a small resort town nestled in the Rocky Mountains, everybody knows everybody. Mr Zinke has denied involvement in the contracting process.