The concern isn't fabrication. He said it's selection. An employee with a prior history of conflict with a contractor group is in a position to scrutinize that group's affiliated vendors more harshly than Pacific Ridge Build had no disclosed affiliation with any contractor group in their bid documentation. Marcus said the connection to Trident Pacific subcontractor network is something I identified through external research after the disqualification not before. He paused if they disclosed the affiliation it would have been a different situation.
They didn't. Okafor leaned forward. How did you identify the connection after the disqualification? I recognized the company name from a subcontractor ledger in historical project files I retained from Phoenix. Marcus said the name appeared on a payment record I'd flagged during the original discrepancy review.
You retained those files? Okafor said I retained copies of documentation I created. Marcus said the original investigation files. Yes. Okafur looked at the chair.
Hartwell said. There's one additional item the board should hear. She looked at Marcus. Mr. Webb, he played the recording. Fitch's voice filled the conference room.
The particular assured tone that had lost its footing midcall. The questions about Pacific Ridge that demonstrated knowledge of bid parameters that had never been public. The phrase times I've got people who owe me more than you cost me. And then 6 seconds before Fitch hung up, Marcus' question about Trident Pacific's holding company. And the silence that followed at the specific, unmistakable silence of someone who just understood they'd said too much.
When it ended, the conference room was quiet. Craig was looking at the table. Gold had his pin down and his portfolio closed, which Marcus understood was a tell. Patricia, the chair, took off her reading glasses. Mr. Gold, she said, does your client have a response to the content of that recording?
Gold's response took 40 seconds to begin and used the words times context times and times characterization times four times. It did not address the specific bid parameters Fitch had referenced. The third neutral director, who hadn't spoken yet, looked up from what she'd been writing. Her name was Dr. Sue, and she'd been on the board for 11 years and had the reputation of someone who waited to speak until she had something worth saying. The bid parameters Mr. Fitch references in that recording.
She said, "Who would have had access to them at the time of the call?" Hartwell answered. The Cambria bid documentation was accessible to company employees with project level credentials and above. It was not accessible to external parties, including investors, unless shared by someone with internal access. Dr. Sue wrote something down. I'd like to recommend, she said, that the board authorize an internal audit of bid documentation access logs for the Cambria project covering the 30 days prior to Pacific Ridg's submission.
She looked at the chair. That audit would identify whether the parameters Mr. Fitch demonstrates knowledge of were accessed by someone who then shared them externally. Craig said that's a significant escalation for a Craig. Patricia said, not unkindly. You're accused from this portion of the discussion.