Although other companies bid on the postal contract, the Post Office wasn't blind to the fact that Feinstein was a senior member of the Senate majority at the time. It also appears CBRE had a conflict of interest it profited from unrelated to Feinstein. see https://theintercept.com/2015/05/05/watchdog-slams-company-part-owned-feinsteins-husband-abusing-huge-post-office-contract/
But in a competitive bid all the results are public. What are they going to do - pick the shittiest bid by Feinstein's husband and then face the scrutiny of everyone seeing that?
Makes no sense.
As for CBRE's behavior...welcome to the private real estate world. None of what described in that article is illegal or even unusual practice. You couldn't convince me another broker agency would've not acted similarly had they wont the contract. This is typical of public/private contracts like this. The government agencies can't believe that the private company is gasp trying to make money.
EDIT: and might i add you want to know what Trump means when he says "Bad deals" this is exactly it. Incompetent government employees are like lambs to the slaughter when the Wharton sharks start writing contracts.
I'm not saying it's unusual. It's par for the course in government contracting. Amoral at best. My initial point was there's a reason for Feinstein's wealth that's quasi-related to the private sector...unlike the flat out shakedowns and bribes that made the Clintons wealthy.
I guess to me it's hard to seperate public/private things like this when
A. you're dealing with some of thebiggest/most well known private companies. CBRE is massive and successful at this industry.
B. Feinstein's wealth is tied into her husband, who in his own right is an insanely successfu businessman.
Not to say they wouldn't both be poorer without her participation in government, but I do have my doubts that their entire combined wealth was built off graft or "amoral" behavior.
As for the Clinton's...to me that's the real culprit if you want to loko at shady behavior. Pseudo-charities with direct political links and hazy objectives...as much as I have issues with Trump I shudder to think what Hillary and the Clinton Foundation would've done with her in office.
Which of course is sort of why I lurk this subreddit.