Thursday, March 28, 2024

Bill Hagerty Staffer Allegedly Ran Coronavirus Test Kit Scam

While serving as Commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development, Senate candidate Bill Hagerty employed Henry Gindt to several high-level positions and boards. Gindt is now charged with participating in a fraudulent coronavirus test scam.

Hagerty affiliate Henry Gindt was charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in May for purporting to work for a lab with certified coronavirus test kits.

According to the complaint – which could see Gindt receive 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine – he allegedly stole 50 test kits from the lab after being fired and later sold them for nearly $2o0 each.

Authorities allege Gindt used two avenues to sell the kits: a website entitled youhealth.shop and targeted emails. While some individuals who paid the $200 price tag received coronavirus kits, Gindt never provided anyone with results.

While Gindt sold himself as a “former Trump Administration official” who worked at the White House to sell more kits, it remains unclear whether he actually served in the White House.

Gindt’s connection with Hagerty, an avid supporter of the Mitt Romney and John McCain ilk, is well-documented.

Under the auspices of Hagerty-led Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD), Gindt “oversaw” the committee’s TNInvestco venture capital program and served as Operations Director for LaunchTN, a public-private partnership focused on attracting investment to the Tennessee area of which Hagerty served as Chairman of the Board. What’s more, the initiative was inaugurated under the Senate hopeful’s tenure as ECD Commissioner, a stint that lasted from 2011 to 2014.

Hagerty’s ECD was identified as a “partner” of the LaunchTN venture.

“Over the past year, new leadership at ECD and LaunchTN have worked together to formulate targeted programming initiatives to further enhance the state’s competitiveness regionally, nationally and globally,” a 2012 press release described.

Within the ECD office, Gindt was promoted to spearhead a “working team” responsible with conducting “interviews with entrepreneurship organizations in the state; tech transfer officers in the state; leading venture capital firms both inside and outside the state; and Tennesee Technology Development Corporation board members.” Following the departure of a high-level ECD official, it was reported that Gindt would take over his responsibilities, effectively becoming the righthand man on the Hagerty’s ECD Chief of Staff turned business partner Will Alexander.

Alexander, the son of Senator Lamar Alexander, was a controversial Hagerty hire, with many alleging the appointment was intended to procure political favor from the Never Trump Senator. Hagerty also used his ECD position to hire a Shariah finance specialist and ex-Obama intern.

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