SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah will be refunded $800,000 it spent to buy malaria drugs once touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus despite warnings from doctors.
Leaders in both Utah and Oklahoma have faced scrutiny for spending millions of dollars combined to purchase the drugs many other states obtained for free.
Republican Gov. Gary Herbert announced the refund Wednesday, but said an internal review found no wrongdoing in the no-bid contract with a Utah compounding pharmacy.
He said the pharmacy has agreed to the refund. Herbert has also canceled an additional plan to spend $8 million more to buy 200,000 additional treatments from the same company.
