La Fortaleza says Governor Jenniffer González Colón never sought a meeting or political donations from NOLA Education, casting the firm's first contact with her as a casual encounter rather than one she requested.^[1] La Fortaleza Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano made the argument at the governor's Sunday press availability, pointing to the company's own account: the initial contact came when NOLA representatives met González on February 20, 2025, during a Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C.^[2][3] That company account is now on the record in writing. NOLA Education submitted written responses to the Senate on Oct. 30 as part of the chamber's investigation into how the Family Department selected the firm's proposal.^[4] In them, the company revealed that staff tied to the governor's office facilitated its contacts with the Family and Education departments in 2025.^[5] The paper trail it describes runs through a May 12, 2025 presentation at the Education Department and an October 6, 2025 meeting at the Family Department.^[6][7] The prize was substantial: NOLA Education was selected for an approximately $38.5 million contract funded by federal TANF dollars, though no contract was ever signed.^[8][9] Government staff visited the company's Star Academy sites in Louisiana in December 2025, a trip for which NOLA says it paid about $13,000 in transportation and meals for the delegation.^[10][11] The company's account has also shifted. NOLA now says Governor González made the first approach for Star Academy in February 2025 - a claim that contradicts its own earlier Senate submission that it approached the governor.^[12][13] Both versions now sit before the Senate, whose investigation into the selection process continues while the company's documents head to federal authorities.^[14][15]