I have seen this type of thing with security systems, industrial equipment, cars, services, ANYTHING you can buy. From a few dollars in value to over $20 million. A good salesman comes in and explains to an ignorant (smart but not knowledgeable of the technical aspects or able to delve into them to evaluate it) manager why the system he is selling is superior to others. He tells them about some piece or another that will fail and make them the laughing stock and spend untold millions to fix the issue. Something, usually one or two things, in the presentation sticks with the manager. So he gets behind it, full force, to show his skill, to save the company money, to save them from an unmitigated disaster, whatever. Now the manager is bought in, fully supportive of this new fangled dohickey, and whether he realizes it or not, will damn near die on this hill, for this thing that he is/was convinced is so needed.
Sometimes facts work to dissuade him, sometimes not. But, the way to dissuade him is to pick apart the solution, and show the true cost of the solution, which is almost always either under priced, or over specified (far more capability than required). In this case, you should ask what problem is it solving, and do NOT assume you know. Let me repeat that - DO NOT ASSUME you know why the persons pushing it are so invested!! Also ask how this vendor was located - did they come shopping, friend, someone approach them? Never underestimate long term friendships, relationships, or a friend of a friend.
In over 30 years working with local, state and federal governments on designing, specifying and procuring equipment, I saw one case of corruption. One, and it was services based, not equipment. Hundreds of times I saw people so dedicated to a cause you would swear they were getting paid cash under the table, they never were. They were truly convinced that this solution was the best for the client because of a good salesman (or woman, never underestimate that!)