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Iowa buys 1 million non-medical masks from GOP donor’s firm

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June 12th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has purchased 1 million face masks through a Republican campaign vendor that will be used by some health care workers despite labels that warn they aren’t intended for medical purposes or hospitals. Iowa’s executive branch last month agreed to buy the reusable cotton masks from Competitive Edge, Inc. for $1.07 apiece. The $1.32 million contract was awarded to bolster the state’s personal protective equipment supplies to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

It was Iowa’s fourth emergency purchase order with the Des Moines company owned by David Greenspon, a GOP donor whose firm has long sold promotional items to Republican campaigns.