New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has rejected a no-bid contract worth $432 million with DocGo, Inc., previously known as Rapid Reliable Testing NY LLC, which was intended to provide emergency services for migrants in the city. The decision was based on concerns that DocGo lacks the necessary experience and raised questions regarding their fiscal capacity and integrity.
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Lander stated, “The agency’s contract submission to our office fails to describe how the $432 million price tag was reached. There was little evidence to show that this company has the experience to provide the services it has been contracted for. Contradictory information was provided regarding their fiscal capacity and serious questions were raised about the integrity and responsibility of this vendor and their subcontractors.”
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Furthermore, Lander expressed concern over DocGo’s background as a medical services group, questioning its expertise in logistics, social services, or legal services. The comptroller also cited allegations that the company’s staff had mistreated migrants.
These concerns are heightened by an ongoing investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James into DocGo over allegations that it misled migrants about employment opportunities and threatened them, potentially jeopardizing their ability to obtain asylum.
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Lander’s letter to the Department of Housing & Preservation Development (HPD) commissioner stated, “There is little evidence to suggest that Rapid Reliable Testing NY LLC had the expertise to provide the services it has been contracted for, calling into question HPD’s vetting of the vendor’s prior experience and capacity that served as its purported basis for vendor selection.”
In response, a DocGo spokesperson insisted that the company is capable of providing the services sought by the contract. “DocGo, one of the nation’s largest logistics companies in the mobile healthcare space, has been successfully providing critical services to asylum seekers through an agreement with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for more than four months,” the spokesperson said.
They also claimed to have received assurance from the Mayor’s office that NYC intends to fully pay DocGo for the services delivered under this contract, both historically and going forward.
