The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albany, New York, have reportedly begun a formal criminal investigation into the real estate and mortgage transactions of New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James.
Last month, William J. Pulte, director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleging that James might have “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms.” He said James had “potentially included … falsifying residence status for a Norfolk, Virginia-based home in order to secure a lower mortgage rate and … misrepresenting property descriptions to meet stringent requirements for government backed loans and government assistance.” He pointed out, “Primary residence mortgages receive more favorable loan terms, including lower interest rates, than secondary residence mortgages.”
Two weeks ago, James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, wrote a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25913822-nyag-james-letter-to-ag-bondi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Bondi, stating, “I write to address the latest act of improper political retribution—this time directed at Ms. James—publicly instigated and endorsed by President Trump&#8230;. This so-called ‘Criminal Referral,’ which recycles long-disproven allegations and is ‘[b]ased on media reports’ lacks any credible foundation.”
“Mr. Trump has singled out Attorney General James dating back to her campaign in 2018, and ever more so during and after the trial and verdict in New York in which Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization were found liable for financial fraud and assessed a $454 million judgment,” Lowell claimed.
Lowell referred to what he called “baseless allegations,” saying:
<blockquote>
Director Pulte cherry-picked an August 17, 2023 power of attorney that mistakenly stated the property to be Ms. James’ principal residence and at the same time absolutely ignored her very clear and all caps statement two weeks earlier to the mortgage loan broker that “[t]his property WILL NOT be my primary residence[.] It will be Shamice’s primary residence.”  
</blockquote>
In 1983, James, then a recent college graduate, bought a Queens residence with her father, with some documents listing her as his “wife.’
“He asked his daughter (then a few years out of school) to help by allowing him to add her name to the mortgage application,” Lowell argued. “Mr. James filled out the mortgage material (wherein he described their relationship as being ‘spouses’) and purchased the home without his daughter’s involvement.”
“However, James, then 24 and a college graduate, signed the notarized mortgage, along with her father, on one of the document’s three pages that listed her as his ‘wife,’” the Times-Union <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/fbi-opens-formal-investigation-ny-attorney-20316868.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “One of those references to her being her father’s ‘wife’ was just below her signature. Lending experts consulted by the Times Union said that by listing themselves as husband and wife, the pair may have qualified for a loan — or received better borrowing terms — than had they not been considered a couple due to income requirements.”
James led a prosecutorial effort to investigate Trump’s business dealings, which ended with a judge ordering him, his two sons, and a Trump company official to pay more than $360 million.

NY Attorney Gen. James Holds News Conference Before Hearing On Case To Protect Citizens From Musk’s DOGE Accessing Private Data

FBI Officially Launches Probe Into New York’s Letitia James

Crime

Donald Trump

Fraud

Investigation

Letitia James

New York

Politics

Real estate

Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who was expelled from Congress last year after extensive fraud revelations, received a hefty 87-month prison term on Friday.
Santos, 36, pleaded guilty last year to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft while also admitting he “filed fraudulent FEC reports, embezzled funds from campaign donors, charged credit cards without authorization, stole identities, obtained unemployment benefits through fraud, and lied in reports to the House of Representatives,” per a Department of Justice press <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-congressman-george-santos-pleads-guilty-fraud-and-identity-theft#:~:text=In%20pleading%20guilty%2C%20Santos%2C%2036,to%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives">release</a>.
As U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert handed down the sentencing, Santos could be seen putting his hands over his head in apparent disbelief, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/former-congressman-george-santos-sentenced-to-seven-years-for-fraud-90d88f55">reported</a>.
Despite Santos saying in a Monday <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/852698897/Letter-From-George-Santos">letter</a> to the presiding judge that he &#8220;accepted full responsibility&#8221; for his crimes and was &#8220;profoundly sorry&#8221; for his actions, John J. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York under President Donald Trump&#8217;s DOJ, had pushed for an 87-month sentence, characterizing Santos as “unrepentant,” and “blamed his circumstances on misplaced trust in others,” per The Wall Street Journal.
Judge Seybert reportedly concurred with this sentiment, saying at the sentencing, &#8220;Where’s the remorse? Where do I see it?&#8221;
After his expulsion from Congress, Santos attempted to monetize his notoriety, likely in an attempt to pay the $375,000 in restitution, through personalized videos on Cameo and launching a podcast aptly titled &#8220;Pants on Fire&#8221; – a possible reference to his numerous falsehoods about his education, work history, and personal background, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/nyregion/george-santos-sentencing-prison.html">according</a> to The New York Times.
Santos was making &#8220;twice his congressional salary&#8221; through the personalized video platform, according to The Times, with the former congressman pushing a &#8220;last week on Cameo&#8221; promotion in a last-ditch effort to raise money before his sentencing.
Durham <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.497086/gov.uscourts.nyed.497086.118.0.pdf">argued</a> in a supplemental court memo that Santos&#8217; recent social media posts claiming he is a “<a href="https://x.com/MrSantosNY/status/1909311390160240990">scapegoat</a>” and a victim of DOJ overreach and selective prosecution &#8220;suggested he had little remorse for his actions.&#8221;
“His actions speak louder than any words, and they cry out for a significant carceral sentence in this case,” the U.S. attorney said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hi my name is George Santos and the DOJ has had a hard on for me since December of 2022.
I refuse to let them break me or my spirit and that makes them big Mad… they have used elaborate language to drag me and hinder my ability to earn income…
Long story short, I will NOT…
&mdash; Pants On Fire with George Santos (@MrSantosNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrSantosNY/status/1908567430403596655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Santos&#8217; dramatic fall began shortly after his 2022 election victory when it was <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/new-york-congressman-elect-santos-admits-to-lying-about-employment-history-and-college-education?utm_source=chatgpt.com">revealed</a> that he had fabricated much of his background, such as graduating from Baruch College, working for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and even playing collegiate volleyball.
“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume,&#8221; Santos admitted in 2023, adding, “I own up to that. … We do stupid things in life.”
Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives after fellow Republicans led the charge following a bipartisan House Ethics Committee report, which found that he had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors. Some funds were <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/onlyfans-botox-george-santos-ethics-report-b2457313.html">reportedly</a> spent on luxury goods, OnlyFans, and Botox.
His attorneys had requested the minimum 24-month sentence, arguing that his actions &#8220;stemmed largely from a misguided desperation related to his political campaign, rather than inherent malice,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/05/nyregion/george-santos-sentencing-prison.html">according</a> to The New York Times, with the judge ultimately accepting the prosecution&#8217;s recommended sentence.

Former Representative George Santos Faces Sentencing For Fraud

Disgraced Ex-Congressman George Santos Sentenced To More Than 7 Years In Prison

Corruption

Courts

Department of Justice

George Santos

U.S. House of Representatives

Three Democratic-led states accounted for the vast majority of unemployment fraud since 2020, according to an initial survey of such fraud by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
California, New York, and Massachusetts tallied nearly 80% of improper unemployment insurance benefits handed out since 2020. An initial review of claims by DOGE found $382 million in fraudulent payments.
The DOGE audit found that “24.5k people over 115 years old claimed $59M in benefits,” “28k people between 1 and 5 years old claimed $254M in benefits,” and “9.7k people with birth dates over 15 years in the future claimed $69M in benefits.”
“In one case, someone with a birthday in 2154 claimed $41k,” DOGE added in a post on X.
Of those flagged claims, California, New York, and Massachusetts accounted for over $300 million.
“California, New York, and Massachusetts accounted for most of these improper claims, totaling $305M in unemployment benefits,” said DOGE. “Additionally, California accounted for 68% of the unemployment benefits paid to parolees identified by CBP on the terrorist watchlist or with criminal records.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
California, New York, and Massachusetts accounted for most of these improper claims, totaling $305M in unemployment benefits.
Additionally, California accounted for 68% of the unemployment benefits paid to parolees identified by CBP on the terrorist watchlist or with criminal… <a href="https://t.co/6jYGfxW7Fr">https://t.co/6jYGfxW7Fr</a>
&mdash; Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGE/status/1910449939487895905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
White House spokesman Harrison Fields said the revelation is an example of the kind of governance that pushed people to move from deep blue states such as California and New York to Republican-led states such as Texas and Florida.
“There’s a reason for the mass exodus from Democrat-run states that have mismanaged their economies and driven residents to the nearest Republican-led state,” Fields told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-states-blame-most-nearly-400-million-unemployment-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>. “High taxes, poor stewardship of taxpayer dollars and progressive policies continue to yield negative results, which is why Americans overwhelmingly support the work of DOGE.”
California, New York, and Massachusetts are under solid Democratic control. Democrats control the governor’s office, the state House, and the Senate in each state, while also having the offices of secretary of state and attorney general as well.
DOGE is spearheading the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. DOGE analysts have been working with government departments to identify potential wasteful spending and spending that does not align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced $5.1 billion in cuts to Pentagon spending on Thursday that were identified by DOGE.
“This one is, as they say, a big one,” said Hegseth in a <a href="https://x.com/SecDef/status/1910462447795716557" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted to social media. “We’re signing a memo right now directing the termination of $5.1 billion in DOD contracts – not million, that’s with a B – $5.1 billion in DOD contracts.”

DC Department of Employment Services

DOGE Review Finds Three Dem States Account For Most Unemployment Fraud Since 2020

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Economy

U.S.

Unemployment

Millions of dollars in federal unemployment benefits have been paid out to people who haven&#8217;t even been born yet, according to the most recent findings from the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez DeRemer shared some of the data during a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, saying that in partnership with DOGE, the Department of Labor had uncovered fraudulent unemployment insurance payments — that totaled hundreds of millions of dollars — going to to several groups of people who were by definition unqualified to receive them.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨HOLY FRAUD🚨
&quot;We have almost 25,000 who are over 115 years-old who are collecting $59 million that we have sent out…
…28,000 people between 1 and 5 years-old have collected fraudulent payments at the tune of $254 million…
…10,000 who have not been born yet, 15 years into… <a href="https://t.co/XupNNCVw9s">pic.twitter.com/XupNNCVw9s</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1910384943030554768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Unemployment insurance fraud — that trust needs to be whole for the American people,&#8221; DeRemer said. &#8220;When we need it, we need it for who deserves it. That&#8217;s not what we&#8217;re seeing in the numbers we saw last night, again, exposed by our partners at DOGE at the Department of Labor.&#8221;
&#8220;Since 2020, over $400 million of payments have gone out already,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;And when you hear these numbers — apparently in the United States we have over — almost 25,000 who are over 115 years-old who are collecting $59 million that we have sent out to people. Talk about fraudulent behavior.&#8221;
&#8220;Mr. President, 28,000 people between 1 and 5 years old have collected fraudulent payments at the tune of $254 million has gone out,&#8221; she added. &#8220;And lastly, 10,000 who have not been born yet, 15 years into the future, $69 million, and they haven&#8217;t even been born yet.&#8221;
&#8220;In one case, they will be born 129 years from now. The United States sent them $41,000,&#8221; DeRemer said. &#8220;And they&#8217;re not born yet. So, under the Department of Labor, those are the things that we&#8217;re uncovering. I couldn&#8217;t be more honored to tell the American people that we&#8217;re bringing back their dollars and were saving them — returning them to the United States Treasury.&#8221;
DOGE has also recently uncovered the fact that millions of non-citizens were given <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-the-staggering-number-of-illegals-who-got-social-security-numbers-under-joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Social Security Numbers</a> during President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration — and that a number of them had registered to vote and had voted in American elections.

Chavez-DeRemer Labor Hearing in Washington

People Who Haven’t Been Born Yet Collected Millions In Federal Unemployment: DOGE

People Who Haven't Been Born Yet Collected Millions In Federal Unemployment: DOGE

Elon Musk, the world&#8217;s most successful businessman and President Donald Trump&#8217;s top White House adviser, said this week that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has uncovered shocking cases of fraud within the federal government.
Musk made the remarks during a Monday meeting with the president and his cabinet secretaries.
&#8220;One case of fraud was with the Small Business Administration, where they were handing out loans—$330 million worth of loans—to people under the age of 11,&#8221; Musk said. &#8220;I think the youngest, Kelly, was a 9-month-old who got a $100,000 loan.&#8221;
&#8220;That’s a very precocious baby we’re talking about here,&#8221; Musk quipped.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler followed up Musk&#8217;s remarks by saying, &#8220;We&#8217;re tackling the fraud, waste, and abuse at the agency.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve seen, you know, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud go unprosecuted, so we’re taking that on,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We have a zero-tolerance policy for fraud, and we continue to crack down on it and make sure people are held accountable.&#8221;
Trump said that they have found &#8220;far too much&#8221; fraud, waste, and abuse in the government over the last couple of months.
&#8220;It’s pure fraud,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We like to use the words &#8216;waste&#8217; and &#8216;abuse&#8217; because they sort of sound good, but many of these things are pure fraud.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Elon Musk at The White House cabinet meeting: “A clear case of fraud was with the SBA, they were handing out $330 million worth of loans to people under the age of 11.. The youngest was a 9 month-old, who got a $100,000 loan… That&#39;s a very precocious baby” <a href="https://t.co/dAt4WWQ3iL">pic.twitter.com/dAt4WWQ3iL</a>
&mdash; America (@america) <a href="https://twitter.com/america/status/1904226469762461840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CABINET

Musk Reveals Shocking Cases Of Fraud Found At Small Business Administration

Elon Musk

Small Business Administration

Trump Administration

The husband of former far-left Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) was hit with federal charges this week alleging that he committed wire fraud related to the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs.
Cortney Merritts, 46, faces two counts of wire fraud for allegedly filing bogus applications in 2020 and 2021 with the United States Small Business Administration.
The indictment alleges that he obtained nearly $21,000 from the programs for his own benefit and enjoyment by lying on the applications about a company that he owned, including how many employees he had and the amount of revenue the company generated.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/03/20/cori-bush-busband-indicted-covid-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that while the indictment was signed by United States Attorney Ed Martin, President Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee to serve as permanent top prosecutor in D.C., the investigation was launched during the Biden administration.
Federal prosecutors ordered that he immediately forfeit to the United States any property connected to the alleged crime.
Merritts&#8217; attorney Justin Gelfand responded to the allegations: “We look forward to litigating this case in the courtroom.”
Bush was under federal criminal investigation last year over allegations that she misspent funds meant for personal security when she paid Merritts tens of thousands of campaign dollars to be her security guard.
The current status of the investigation is not known. No charges have been filed and she has not been formally accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
Bush represented her St. Louis-area district since 2021 after she toppled Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO) in the 2020 primary, and over the years, she has faced scrutiny over payments for private security despite her calls to defund the police.
Her campaign has spent more than $750,000 on security services since 2019, according to federal election data. The congresswoman has previously said she was doling out money for protection because of attempts on her life.
She lost her seat in 2024 when she lost her primary to then-St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, a more moderate Democrat.

Press conference on urging Biden to sign ERA before the end of his term

Cori Bush’s Husband Indicted On Federal Charges

Congress

Cori Bush

Two teachers union heads in Florida have been indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges, accused of stealing more than $2 million from union members.
The indictment against Terrie Brady, who was president of Duval Teachers United, and Ruby George, who was executive vice president, was unsealed on Monday.
Brady, 69, and George, 81, could face decades in prison if convicted of the charges, which <a href="https://jaxtoday.org/2025/01/13/teachers-union-fraud-indictment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud, and three counts of aiding and abetting mail fraud.
The indictment accuses the two women of cheating the union out of <a href="https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2025/01/13/florida-teachers-union-execs-terrie-brady-ruby-george-indicted/75914930007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more</a> than $1.2 million each between 2013 and 2022, in part by claiming much more unused vacation time than they had. According to the indictment, they tag-teamed on signing each other&#8217;s union checks for fraudulent vacation time payments and additional bonus payments.
Brady was also charged with two counts of money laundering for allegedly using nearly $44,000 of the money to pay personal American Express credit card debt.
Then, the women filed false documentation to a union auditor, the indictment claimed.
The bombshell charges come after agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service raided the union&#8217;s headquarters in San Marco in September 2023, sparking confusion and speculation. Agents were spotted carrying computers, bags, and boxes of financial documents out of the building.
Brady and George resigned just weeks later after leading the union for 24 years, saying they wanted to spend more time with their families.
Back in 2023, Brady <a href="https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/governor-ron-desantis-takes-aim-teachers-unions/XEPIGBHODZB7PEWRRJNWN2XYCE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complained</a> about Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis trying to impose new financial transparency requirements on the unions.
“We think we’re pretty transparent in the work that we do,” Brady said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Terrie Brady, President of the Duval Teachers United union, put in a rare appearance at the DCPS school board meeting to discuss…not receiving dues for 12 days because of the new Florida law making teacher dues opt in and not mandatory. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MomsForLiberty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MomsForLiberty</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Florida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Florida</a> <a href="https://t.co/71OLVS4MSc">pic.twitter.com/71OLVS4MSc</a>
&mdash; Moms For Liberty &#8211; Duval Co., FL (@DuvalMoms) <a href="https://twitter.com/DuvalMoms/status/1686628447953555456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DeSantis had accused the unions of being too political and promised better pay for teachers and a cap on the salaries of teachers union officials.
“Having partisan groups basically get special privileges for deductions and all these other stuff, you know, that doesn’t work and so, I think this will be a huge, huge boon for transparency and efficiency in our school system,” DeSantis said at the time.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl=1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl%3D1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA..&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737044249231000&amp;usg=AOvVaw15fpgzSqdekU8AKrqgMU6V">CELEBRATE #47 WITH 47% OFF DAILYWIRE+ MEMBERSHIPS + A FREE $20 GIFT</a>
Duval Teachers United represents about 13,000 teachers and other school employees in the Jacksonville area. The local union is affiliated with both the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA).
The union <a href="https://jaxtoday.org/2025/01/13/teachers-union-fraud-indictment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brings</a> in about $5 million in revenue a year.
In 2022, Brady received a lifetime achievement award for “a long record of excellent leadership” from the Florida Education Association.
She also chaired the Florida Democratic Party in the 1990s.

Money

Teachers Union Heads Indicted For Fraud, Stealing More Than $2M From Union

Teachers Union Heads Indicted For Fraud, Stealing Millions From Union

DeSantis

Education

Florida

Public Schools

Ron DeSantis

Teachers Unions

A damning report from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> this week found that there is widespread fraud throughout Minnesota&#8217;s government and that Governor Tim Walz demands little to no accountability for what has transpired under his watch.
The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/04/politics/walz-audits-fraud-accountability-invs/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> highlighted numerous examples of fraud, ranging from pandemic funds intended to go to frontline workers that instead went to undeserving recipients to lax oversight of a government program that federal prosecutors said was the &#8220;nation&#8217;s largest&#8221; pandemic fraud scheme.
The report comes as Vice President Kamala Harris has faced significant criticism for her decision to pick Walz as her running mate after he has been found to be a serial liar on matters that span nearly every aspect of his life, both personal and career.
That criticism was again amplified after he was trounced in the vice presidential debate this week by Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) — Donald Trump&#8217;s vice presidential pick.
The state’s nonpartisan auditor, Judy Randall, told CNN that when Walz and his administration were confronted with dozens of examples of waste, fraud, and abuse, they minimized or dismissed the allegations.
The report said she was stunned that the state agencies under Walz&#8217;s control have become &#8220;defensive&#8221; and showed &#8220;signs of resentment&#8221; when confronted with the fraud, something that she has never seen over her nearly three decade career.
Randall said that she is not aware of a single person who has been removed from their job in the administration as a result of the fraud findings.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
“When he is not holding any commissioners responsible, then yes, Governor Walz is responsible for the fraud that has been ongoing in the state of Minnesota,” said Lisa Demuth, the state House GOP leader. “It falls squarely on his shoulders.”
Sen. Mark Koran, a Republican who serves as the vice chair of the state’s bipartisan legislative audit commission, said that the &#8220;hostility&#8221; that the state government has shown to investigators &#8220;is led by Governor Walz.&#8221;
“The governor’s appointees across the board at almost all agencies have been hostile and uncooperative when citizens are seeking transparency and oversight through the legislative auditor,” said Koran.
The chair of the committee, Democrat Rep. Rick Hansen, refused to respond to CNN&#8217;s request for comment.
The corruption under the Walz administration has attracted the attention of federal law enforcement officials who have conducted raids on various entities in connection with multiple criminal corruption investigations that are ongoing.
The report highlighted one of the examples of corruption that involved hundreds of millions of dollars of pandemic relief funds that were stolen through government programs in Minnesota.
Instead of helping those in need, &#8220;$250 million in federal tax dollars [were used] to purchase luxury cars, lavish overseas trips, gold jewelry and lakeside property.&#8221;

JD Vance And Tim Walz Face Off In Vice Presidential Debate In New York

CNN: Walz Lets Fraud Run Rampant In Minnesota Government With Little Accountability

Kamala Harris

Media

Minnesota

Tim Walz

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/brad-pitt">Brad Pitt</a>’s rep shared his reaction to multiple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fraud">scammers</a> pretending to be the movie star on social media, which resulted in several victims being tricked out of more than $350,000.
&#8220;It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities, and this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence,” the actor’s spokesperson said, per <a href="https://people.com/brad-pitt-rep-speaks-out-scammers-pose-as-actor-8718169">People</a>.
A recently published press release from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spain">Spain</a>&#8216;s Ministry of the Interior detailed some of the alleged crimes, including scam artists pretending to be Pitt and initiating online relationships with the victims. These individuals then had the women transfer money into various accounts by claiming they were investing in his upcoming projects, the outlet noted.
The scammers &#8220;managed to make these women believe they had become so close to the well-known American actor that they believed they had a romantic relationship with him,&#8221; the docs said. One woman was duped into transferring around $167,000, while another got bilked out of approximately $195,500.
So far, five total suspects have been arrested in connection with the scam and were charged with crimes including fraud, money laundering, and forgery, per Spanish authorities.
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The victims were targeted through Brad Pitt fan pages. The 60-year-old “Ad Astra” star has no official authorized social media accounts on Instagram, X, Facebook, or TikTok.
Pitt has voiced his disinterest in using social media in the past. He told GQ during a 2014 <a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/brad-pitt-british-gq-november-issue-cover-story-interview">interview</a> that he sees social media as being more trouble than it&#8217;s worth.
“Listen, I see a benefit in it. You could, you know, combat the misconceptions or the misquotes immediately. And if I&#8217;d have had that in my younger days, I&#8217;d have used it,&#8221; the actor said at the time. 
&#8220;Because I felt quite used, and completely misunderstood, and misread, and not given the benefit of the doubt,&#8221; Pitt continued. &#8220;You know, I felt that a lot in my first years. I would have brought some logic to the table, and brought it immediately. But now, at this point, I don&#8217;t want to bother with it.&#8221;
In 2019, the actor <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1058939/here-s-why-brad-pitt-isn-t-joining-instagram-anytime-soon">said</a> he didn’t “see the point” in creating an Instagram account.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt’s Rep Responds To Impersonators Scamming Fans Out Of $350K

Brad Pitt's Rep Responds To Impersonators Scamming Fans Out Of $350K

Celebrities

Entertainment

Spain

World

The system that the U.S. put in place in Iraq following its 2003 invasion of the country was abused by shady Iraqi banks that used the lax system to funnel large unknown sums of money to Iranian terrorists.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/iraq-banks-u-s-fed-iran-financing-0c3e740c?st=4qtfg6tag4np9c2&amp;reflink=article_copyURL_share">reported</a> that the three banks run by Ali Ghulam wired tens of billions of dollars outside of the country to fake vendors who submitted fraudulent invoices.
&#8220;U.S. officials suspect his banks were among more than two dozen Iraqi banks involved in funneling dollars to Iran and its militia allies, using front companies and falsified invoices to circumvent sanctions that block Iran from the global financial system,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;Audits of Ghulam’s banks completed in May, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, reveal extraordinary details of overseas dollar transactions that auditors said raised money-laundering concerns.&#8221;
The report said that numbers as high as 80% of the more than $250 million in wire transfers that could flow through the banks on a daily basis were &#8220;untraceable&#8221; and some of the money would go to Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization, and to other Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the region.
The Pentagon warned the White House as far back as 2012, during the Obama administration, that fraudulent activity was happening at the banks. Obama, who <a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/">killed</a> a massive federal investigation aimed a crippling the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, did not appear to take action against the banks.
U.S. officials warned that there was as much as $800 million worth of fraud happening per week through the system in Iraq.
The system that was set up had the New York Fed hold Iraq&#8217;s tens of billions of dollars worth of earnings from oil sales every year to send physical cash back to Baghdad to help stabilize Iraq&#8217;s economy and prevent the further spread of ISIS in the country.
However, because Iraq was not part of Swift, a Belgium-based service that routes messages between banks, the Iraqi banks were not required to divulge who they were wiring the funds to outside of the country.
“The Americans have nothing on me,” Ghulam, who now lives in a $40 million mansion in London, claimed in an interview. “I have nothing to do with money laundering or Iran.”
The report said that he sold U.S. dollars on the black market and belonged to one of the Iranian-backed extremist groups that fought against U.S. forces.
When Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Iraq &#8220;saw the dollars to be made from the system, they started taking over private banks,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;They then entered the business of wiring money abroad, abusing the system by using fraudulent or inflated invoices for nonexistent imports, according to Iraqi officials and bankers.&#8221;
Audits from a private firm found that his banks sent $3.5 billion outside of the country in the six months before the U.S. cut him off to a small number of &#8220;obscure companies in the U.A.E.&#8221;
&#8220;The smallest transfer was for exactly $2,970,000, and the largest was for exactly $17,000,000,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;In the six months audited, one Iraqi company sent precisely $243,000,000 in 17 payments through Iraqi Middle East Investment Bank. The audit called the round numbers a red flag for money laundering because such amounts are almost never seen in legitimate business transactions.&#8221;
When the Fed finally started investigating the business transactions in 2022, they &#8220;shut him down almost overnight,&#8221; the report said.

IRAN-VOTE-POLITICS

Iraqi Banks Used U.S.-Created System To Funnel Money To Iranian Terrorists: Report

Iran

Iraq

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota</a> Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tim-walz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Walz</a>, the Democratic Party&#8217;s vice presidential nominee, has been <a href="https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/9.4.24_feeding_our_future_subpoenas.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subpoenaed</a> as part of a Republican-led congressional investigation into the fraudulent use of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a> relief funds.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> Education and the Workforce Committee is seeking documents related to the Minnesota Department of Education&#8217;s (MDE) administration of federal child nutrition programs (FCNP).
At issue is how the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future (FOF) was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/five-defendants-found-guilty-their-roles-250-million-fraud-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implicated</a> in what the Department of Justice (DOJ) described as a $250 million fraud scheme that &#8220;exploited&#8221; an operation meant to feed hungry kids in need during the COVID pandemic.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-launch-investigation-into-walz-over-extensive-ties-to-communist-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Lawmakers Launch Investigation Into Walz Over ‘Extensive’ Ties To Communist China</a>
&#8220;As the chief executive and the highest ranking official in the state of Minnesota, you are responsible for the MDE and its administration of FCNPs,&#8221; Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) wrote in a cover letter to Walz.
&#8220;Statements in the press by you and your representatives indicate that you and other executive officers were involved, or had knowledge of, MDE’s administration of the FCNP and responsibilities and actions regarding the massive fraud,&#8221; she added.
The committee also sent subpoenas for documents to MDE Commissioner Willie Jett, Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, and Agriculture Department Inspector General Phyllis Fong. Walz and the others received a September 18 deadline.
Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harris-expected-to-tap-minnesota-governor-tim-walz-as-running-mate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picked</a> Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential race in early August, but the House GOP&#8217;s inquiry into FOF and efforts to obtain documents from Minnesota officials dates back to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/11/14/foxx-house-republicans-question-minnesota-department-of-education/71577965007/">last year</a>.
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In 2022, federal prosecutors announced charges against dozens of defendants linked to FOF in what the DOJ described at the time as being &#8220;the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the nation.&#8221;
In June of this year, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lugar <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/five-defendants-found-guilty-their-roles-250-million-fraud-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that five defendants had been convicted by a federal jury, and a total of 23 individuals had been &#8220;held accountable&#8221; for their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme.
Foxx&#8217;s letter to Walz noted that the governor, when asked about not holding agencies accountable and whether MDE employees would be disciplined, <a href="https://www.startribune.com/we-can-always-do-better-gov-tim-walz-says-of-education-department-after-report-criticizes-oversight-of-feeding-our-future/600374449" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>, &#8220;This wasn’t malfeasance.&#8221;
Walz also stated, &#8220;There’s not a single state employee that was implicated in doing anything that was illegal. They simply didn’t do as much due diligence as they should’ve.&#8221;
The Office of the Legislative Auditor in Minnesota <a href="https://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/sreview/pdf/2024-mdefof.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a report this summer that said MDE&#8217;s oversight of FOF had been &#8220;inadequate&#8221; and listed ways in which it &#8220;created opportunities for fraud.&#8221;
A spokesperson for Walz told <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/06/14/feeding-our-future-fraud-minnesota-department-education-audit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a> his administration &#8220;made many of the corrective actions suggested by the OLA [Office of the Legislative Auditor] and taken &#8216;strong steps to find and eliminate any remaining vulnerabilities in government programs.'&#8221;

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz

House Panel Subpoenas Walz In COVID Fraud Probe

COVID-19

House Republicans

subpoena

Prosecutors with the Department of Justice have asked the court to deny convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh’s appeal of his sentence for financial crimes.
Federal prosecutors argued that part of Murdaugh’s plea deal included a stipulation that he sign away his right to appeal the sentence, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/doj-asks-court-toss-alex-murdaugh-appeal-federal-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Murdaugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-appeals-sentence-for-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pled guilty</a> in September 2023 to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-40-years-prison-federal-financial-crimes#:~:text=Murdaugh%20was%20a%20personal%20injury,from%20his%20personal%20injury%20clients.">22 counts</a> of fraud and other financial crimes after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
&#8220;For more than 15 years, he spun a complex web of exploitation, manipulation and deceit, preying on highly vulnerable victims in pursuit of his own financial gain,&#8221; federal prosecutors wrote in a motion filed in federal court last week, according to Fox.
Murdaugh’s attorneys and federal prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel for a 30-year sentence to run concurrently with Murdaugh’s 27-year sentence for state financial crime and consecutive life sentences for the murders of his wife Maggie, and youngest son, Paul.
Instead, Gergel sentenced Murdaugh to 40 years in prison for the federal financial crimes, which Murdaugh’s attorneys <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaughs-attorneys-say-sentence-for-financial-crime-constitutes-cruel-and-unusual-punishment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have called</a> cruel and unusual punishment. In appealing the sentence, Murdaugh’s attorneys argued that the 40-year sentence is effectively a life sentence, given Murdaugh’s age, WCSC <a href="https://www.live5news.com/2024/07/12/murdaugh-attorneys-claim-federal-sentence-financial-crimes-unconstitutional/?outputType=amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Murdaugh, who is 55, is required to serve at least 85% of his sentence, which amounts to 34 years. However, the life expectancy of a 55-year-old man is only another 24 years, <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/STATS/table4c6.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Social Security Administration</a>.
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Murdaugh’s appeal said the state guidelines should have sentenced him between 17 and 22 years for the crimes and cites three similar cases with median sentences of 17.5 years.
Judge Gergel sentenced Murdaugh to the longer term, stating in his ruling that Murdaugh stole money from “the most needy, vulnerable people.” This included a client who was left without the use of his arms or legs after a crash and a trust fund for children whose parents had been killed in a car crash.
Murdaugh pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars from his previous law firm and its clients and, in addition to prison time, was ordered to pay more than $8 million in restitution to his victims.
&nbsp;

Alex Murdaugh

DOJ Asks Court To Deny Alex Murdaugh’s Appeal For Financial Crimes Sentence

DOJ Asks Court To Deny Alex Murdaugh's Appeal For Financial Crimes Sentence

South Carolina

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