Puerto Rico Cuts Ties with Whitefish, Millions Without Power

Puerto Rico will cancel its $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings, a company contracted to help rebuild the island's electricity system. 

The announcement by Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló comes as federal legislators investigate the company. 

The contract came under fire because the company had only two full-time employees when the contract was awarded and it is based in the Montana hometown of US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

"There cannot be any kind of distraction that alters the commitment to restore electrical power as soon as possible in Puerto Rico," Rossello said, adding that nearly $8 million has already been paid to Whitefish.

"If something illegal was done, once again, the officials involved in that process will feel the full weight of the law, and I will take administrative actions," he added. 

Audits of the Whitefish contract are under way at a local and federal level.

Whitefish spokesman Chris Chiames says the company has already brought 350 workers to the island and it expected to have a total of 500 this week, saying this cancellation will only delay efforts to restore power to Puerto Rico.

He says it has completed critical work, including a project that will soon lead to a half million people in San Juan getting power.

Roughly 70 percent of Puerto Rico remains without power more than month after Hurricane Maria struck the island in September.