Amazon wins the first battle, temporarily blocks Microsoft's JEDI contract

Amazon is not happy with DoD’s decision to award Microsoft with the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract. In December, we reported that Amazon filed a lawsuit against DoD’s decision. Last month, we reported that Amazon is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the issuance of substantive task orders under the JEDI contract. In response to that Amazon’s filing, a judge today ordered a temporary block on the JEDI cloud contract.  As per the contract, Microsoft would have started the contract work on Feb. 11. Because of this new order today, Microsoft should temporarily stop all the work.

The United States, by and through the Department of Defense, its officers, agents, and employees, is hereby PRELIMINARILY ENJOINED from proceeding with contract activities under Contract No. HQ0034-20-D-0001, which was awarded under Solicitation No. HQ0034-18-R-0077, until further order of the court.” – order signed by Judge Patricia E. Campbell-Smith of the US Court Federal Claims.

Early this week, Amazon filed a petition in court that it wants to depose President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, DoD’s CIO, Dana Deasy and former Defense Secretary James Mattis. Amazon believes that these individuals were instrumental in awarding the JEDI contract to Microsoft.

“President Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to use his position as President and Commander in Chief to interfere with government functions – including federal procurements – to advance his personal agenda. The preservation of public confidence in the nation’s procurement process requires discovery and supplementation of the administrative record, particularly in light of President Trump’s order to ‘screw Amazon.’ The question is whether the President of the United States should be allowed to use the budget of the DoD to pursue his own personal and political ends,” Amazon said in a statement