State Department finalized $5mil order for custom crystal wine glasses just hours before shutdown

Meghan Keneally
Daily Mail
Oct. 8, 2013

A $5million order for custom crystal glasses and bar accessories was placed for American embassies on the day before the government shutdown.

The State Department finalized the order for custom stemware on September 30, just hours before nearly one million federal workers were put on unpaid leave as a result of the on-going budget dispute in Congress.

The contract was awarded to Simon Pearce, a Vermont stemware company that makes hand blown crystal that retails for up to $85-per-wine glass.