Following our FOIA reports on states such as Kentucky using taxpayer fuds to purchase Chinese government-owned products, we have now discovered that the state of Colorado has also made substantial purchases of U.S. military-banned equipment. Through a FOIA request, we found that Colorado has spent a total of $3,761,125.74 on Lenovo products in recent years, despite the Chinese government having access and control over all data on their products.
Read our full Colorado FOIA report here:
The Colorado government agencies that have purchased Lenovo’s banned equipment handle massive divisions of the state government that deal with a variety of services. The Division of Parks and Wildlife, which manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado’s wildlife, and a host of recreational programs, has spent $2,007,235.24 on Lenovo products. The Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety, responsible for mineral and energy development, policy, regulation, and planning, has spent $587,824.70 on Lenovo products.
Both state and federal officials representing Colorado should work together to take action against these risky purchases. Sherri Maxwell, Chief Procurement Officer of the state, can work within the state government to prevent Lenovo products from being used or purchased. In Congress, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, have both spoken out against China’s transgressions against cybersecurity. This bipartisan issue that hopefully will be resolved by our elected officials to protect user privacy.