Verkada Offered $200 to Gov Official for Webinar
Verkada asked a Florida airport IT director to illegally accept money in exchange for holding a webinar to tout Verkada's products to prospects, IPVM uncovered in public records requests.
Past IPVM reporting on Verkada's money offers to public officials resulted in a change to the company's gift-giving policies. Verkada responded to IPVM, saying this applies to webinars as well.
In this report, we examine the airport's relationship with Verkada, the $200 offer, the relevant Florida statutes, and the risks and benefits to Verkada.
Executive *******
******* ******** ***** ** ********** ********* to ** ********* *** **** ** unethical *** ***** *******, ** ** in **** ****, ****** *** ******** declined *******'* *****. ******* ** ***** enough *** ****, ******* ******** ** such ********, ** *** **** ****** from ***********.
******* **** ** *** "*********...************* ***** to ******," *************** *** ******* ********** ********* ******** $**-$*** ** ********* for **-****** *****. *****, *** ******** is ********** ** *******'* ******* ** highly ********** *****.
********** *****, ** * ***** ********, $200 *** * ******* **** * trusted ****** ** * ****-********* ***********, given *******'* ******* **** **** ** sales, **** ~*,*** *********** ********* **** ~20 ********* ****. **** ** **** low *********** *** ******* **** ** webinars; ******* ***** ** **** ~*** on * *******, ****** ~$** ***** to ****, *** * ***** ** ~$2,500.
Background: ******* ******** *****/***** ** ****** *********
*******'* ********** ***** **** *** *** several ***** ******* ***** ** *********, often $**-$*** ****** **** *****, ** well ** "****"**** **** ******** ** ***** ***.
** ****,**** ******** ********* $*** ****** ** ****** ********* in *** ****** *** **-****** ***** calls. ***** *** ******,******* ****** *** "********** ************* *** *** of **** ***** ** *********** *********."
*** ******* ***** ****** *****, **** not ** ********* ***** *********. ** September ****,**** ******** ********** ***** ** *** *** ***** CIO******* ********, *** "*********" **** ******* *** accepted *****, * ***** ****, *** entertainment ** *******'* ****. ******* **** offered *** **** *** ******** ******* for ****, * $*,*** ****, ** said.
Background: ***** ******* ***'* ******* ************ **** *******
**** ****** ********* ** ****** ********* Verkada's ************ **** *** *** ****** Port ********* (****), ***** *********** ***** Florida ************* *******.
**** *** ******* ******* ***** ******************** "****" ****, *** **** ** *************** ******.** **** *******, *** ******* ****** ** ****, Verkada *** * ********** *********** ******* pursuing ****** *** **** *** ******* for ********** *******.
***********, **** *** **** ***** *****, Verkada *** *** $****+ ** ******** with ****, ********* ******* *** *** bridges *** * ******** ********* *******.
$200 ******* *****
** *** ******, ******* ****** ***** highly ** *******'* ********. ** ********* 2021, ****** **** ***** ******* ****** if ** ***** ** * ******* involving "** ***** * **** ******** with *** ****** ******** ******** ** how *** ******* ******* ********."
******* *** **** ********* * $***+ project ** *** *******, **** ****** underway. *********, ****** *** **** ** the ******* ****.
**** ******** ** *** **** *** with ******* **** * *********, *** said, "** ***** **** ***** [******] a $*** **** **** ** * token ** ************ *** ***** ****."
** ******** *** *** $***, ******* would **** ** *** ***** ** Murray's **** ******* ********, * *** run, *** *** *-**** *******.
** **** *****, ****** *** *** respond. **** ******* ***** ***** ** February ****, ** ****, "*'* *** interested ** * *******."
Giving ***** ** ********* ** ******* ** *******
** ******** ****** *****, ******* ********** him ** ***** *** ***. ***** Florida ********§§ ***.**** *** §§ ***.****, ********* ****** ****** ***** **** a ****** **** **** **** *** doing ********.
* ********* ********** ** *********** ******** or *** ***** ****** ** *** or *** ****** **prohibited **** ********* *********, directly or indirectly, a **** **** * ****** ***** ******** **** *** ********* **********’* ** *********** ********’* ******. [emphasis added]
***********, ***** ******* ***.***(*)(*) ** ********** **** ** ****** *** ****** Officers *** *********, ********* *** *** **** *** contractual ************ **** * ******:
** ****** ******* ** ******** ** an ****** ***** **** ** **** any ********** ** *********** ************ **** any ******** ****** ** *** ****** which ** ******* ** *** ********** of, ** ** ***** ******** ****, an ****** ** ***** ** ** she ** ** ******* ** ********.
*******'* ***** ***** ********** * *********** relationship ** ******** ***** ** ********** money *** ******** ********.
************, *******'* ***** *** *** ** breaking *** *** ** ******'* ************* in *** ******* ***** ** * "performance ** * ****** ****," *.*., in *** "******** ********," *** ******* Statute§ ***.***(*):
(*)It ** ******** *** *** ****** ** ********* *** ************* ****, *****, ** ******* ** *** ****** *******, or, if a public servant, to knowingly and intentionally request, solicit, accept, or agree to accept, any ********* ** ***** ******* not authorized by law for *** ****, *******, ** ****** ******** ** *** ********* upon or with any other public servant regarding *** *** or omission which the person believes to have been, or which is represented to him or her as having been, either within *** ******** ********** ** *** ***** ****** *******, ** ********* ** * ****** ****, ** ** *********** ** * ****** ****.
******'* ************* ** *** ******* *** have *********, ************ ** ******** ** other ******** ***** ****'* ** ******** is, ** *******, **** ** *** job.
$50 **** **** ****, ****, *** *** **** ******* ** ** ********
****** ******** ******* *******'* $*** *** others ** ****. *** ********, ** November ****, ****** ******** * "****, Shirt, ***, ** * $** **** gift ****." ******* ***** ** **** him * **** ******.
****** *** ****** ** ***** (*************) to ****** ************* ******* ** ******** about *** ********** **** *******. *** when **** ********** *** ********* ** the ******, ****** *****, ** ****, "If *** *** **** **** **** over ** ******* *** *** ****, that ***** ** *****."
***** *******, "**** **** ** ******* swag *** *** ********** **, *******? I'm ***** ** **** *** * Verkada ******* ****, *****, ***, ** a $** **** **** ****. *** me **** **** *** *****!"
****** ********, ******, "****** ***** ** help * ****** *******. ** **** required." *** ***** ******* *** *******, saying, "****** ** ******* * ******* Yeti ** *** **** ** *** next *** *****."
An ******* *** ********* ***** ********
***** **** **** *** **** ** Verkada **** ****** *** ********, ** often***** ************ ****** *********. ********** *****, *******'* webinar ******** ** ********* * ******* source *** $*** ***** ********* *****, considering *** ******* **** ** ********. Satisfied ***-***** *** * ****** ***** in ***** ** *********** *******.
** ** **** * ***** ******, given *** ******* **** ** *******'* webinars. *********, ****** *** ****** ****** Verkada's ********. **** **** ******* ~$** Yetis *** *********, ******* ****** ~$*,*** just ** **********.
Verkada ********
** * *********, ******* **** ** "prohibits ********* **** ******** *** **** of ************* ***** ** ****** - including ** ****** ****** ** ***** government *********." ******* ***** **** ** updated *** ******** ** **** "** prohibit *** ******** ** **** ***** to ****** ** *******."
******* ********* ********* **** ******** *** kind ** ************* ***** ** ****** – ********* ** ****** ****** ** other ********** *********.
** *** *** **** ***’** ****** from ****, *** ************* **** *** matter ***** ** ****** **** *** offered **** **** *** ******** **** from ******* ** *** *** ****** Port *********.
** ****, ******* ****** *** ******* to ******** *** ******** ** **** cards ** ****** ** *******. ******* regularly ****** *** ********* ** ******* policies, ********* *** ****** ** **** employees *** *** ****** ***** ** give ** ****** ****** ** ***** government *********. ** **** ****** ********** very ********* *** *** ****** ******* to ** *** ***** *****.
*******
****** ***** ** ****** *********, ********** in ******** *** ******* **** *******, is ********* *** ***** *******. ***** its ********, ******* ***, ** ******* instances, **** ** ****** *****, ********* Silicon ******'* '****-****-***-*****-******' ********* (*.*.,*,*,*,*,*,*,*). * ***** ******* ***** *** away **** ****, *** ******* ** now * *********** **********, **** *,***+ salespeople *** **,***+ *********.
**** ***** ******* ** **** ****** to ******* ********* **** ********** *** law *********** **** ******** **** ** illegal ** ******* *********. *** ******** it **** ** ** ******* ** place ***** ** ********* ** ***** this. ***** ********* ** ** *** ****, ******* **** ******** ** ****, and *** ******* ****** **** **** it.
******* ********** ******* *** ********* ********? I'm ************, *** *** ** *** surprised.
** ****** ********* ** ****? *** culture ********* ****** *** ********* ****** consistently. *****'* * ******** **** **** of ********* ******** ** *******.
* ** ********** ** **** *** many ***** ********** ********* ******** ***** illicit *****. * ******* **** ******* is ****** *** ** ** **** now *** *** **** *** ***** and *** **** ***** *** ******* unfairly *** ***** ***** ***** *******?