Amazon is reportedly doubling down on its attempt to block Microsoft from a lucrative Pentagon contract for cloud computing worth $10 billion, the latest twist in the e-commerce giant’s ongoing dispute with the Trump administration over the awarding of the contract.
Reuters reported Tuesday that Amazon is planning to file a motion for a temporary restraining order against Microsoft on January 24 and that a federal court will issue its decision on February 11.
Amazon has been sparring with the Trump administration over the contract, with the online retailer alleging that the White House exerted “improper pressure” and bias that led to the U.S. Department of Defense awarding the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract to Microsoft.
JEDI is part of the Pentagon’s effort to update its technology infrastructure by giving the military improved access to the cloud from battlefields and other far-flung locations.
The Pentagon awarded the contract to Microsoft in October. But Amazon filed a lawsuit shortly thereafter, claiming that President Donald Trump interfered in the decision making process and that “substantial and pervasive errors” occurred in awarding the contract to Microsoft.
President Trump has publicly crossed swords with Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post. The newspaper’s coverage of the Trump administration has been overwhelmingly negative — a point that President Trump has brought up in his interactions with the media.
Amazon said in its initial court filing last year that it lost the Pentagon contract due to President Trump’s “personal vendetta against Mr. Bezos, Amazon, and the Washington Post.”
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