Claude M. Millman was recently quoted in a The City article entitled, “At Rikers Commissary, Prices Exceed Those at Local Stores Despite Pledge to Bring Costs Down,” about a New York City Department of Corrections contract for prison commissary services.
The article by reporters Reuven Blau and Mia Hollie says that the contract had previously been revised to shield prison detainees from high prices at the commissary but instead resulted in prices for grocery-type items that were higher than those at local New York stores. The article says that the revised contract barred the contractor from charging more than nearby grocery stores.
“This contract raises so many different issues,” said Claude Millman, a lawyer specializing in city procurement who was the director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) during the Giuliani administration from 1998 to 2000, the article states.
The article goes on to paraphrase Claude as suggesting that “one way to resolve the seeming conflict between the two contract provisions would be for the Correction Department or another city agency like the Comptroller’s Office to conduct an audit of the prices [the vendor] charged at the end of every year in comparison to neighborhood prices.”
“At the end of each year, there should be an adjustment made, and any payments should be rejiggered to account for the fact that the pricing may have been too high in some cases,” he said. “I would think that would be a natural thing happening.”
The full article can be read here.
About Claude Millman
For over two decades, Claude has represented government contractors doing business with New York City and State government agencies and authorities, advised government officials and former government officials on ethics issues, litigated matters against the City, State, and federal government, and handled complex commercial litigation and investigations, including high-profile disputes and controversies.
