Amazon is trying to convince a judge that the cloud contract which was awarded to Microsoft should be “invalidated because it is the product of systemic bias.” Amazon wants a judge to toss out the $10 billion JEDI contract that was awarded to Microsoft by the Pentagon.
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However, the Defense Department said in September that a court-ordered reevaluation of the contract found that Microsoft's proposal still offered the best value for the government, according to Fox Business.
Amazon wants Microsoft's contract invalidated
Amazon Web Services said in a court filing dated Oct. 23 that had had been redacted and unsealed this week that the award to Microsoft "is the product of systemic bias, bad faith, and undue influence exerted by President Trump to steer the award away from" it. The e-commerce and cloud giant also called the contract award a "flawed and politically corrupted decision."
The White House declined to comment on the court filing and referred questions to the Justice Department, while the Pentagon didn't comment either. Microsoft said in a statement on Tuesday that "career procurement officials at the DoD decided that given the superior technical advantages and overall value, we continued to offer the best solution."
The company also said it was time to get the technology into the hands of those who really need it, which are the "women and men who protect our nation."
Microsoft contract on hold
Amazon Web Services issued a statement on Tuesday saying that due to the Pentagon's revision in September, its own proposal is now "the lowest-priced bid by tens of millions of dollars." In February, a judge granted the company's request to temporarily keep the agreement with Microsoft from moving forward. That halt is still in place.
The court is now considering whether to dismiss the amended complaint from Amazon. The motions in the case haven't been publicized, and the judge could release a ruling at any time. Amazon had been considered to be a front-runner to secure the cloud services contract. It sued in November 2019 after the Pentagon awarded it to Microsoft. Trump has publicly criticized Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos repeatedly.
The new filing from Amazon claims the Trump administration "intensified a campaign of interference and retribution against those in DoD perceived as disloyal to the president or capable of reaching conclusions at odds with his personal interests." The company also claimed that the latest Pentagon review was "riddled with errors."
