Tag: taxes

Biden’s AUTOPEN REGIME laundered $93 BILLION through Energy Department right before Trump took office, exposing last-ditch money grab by oligarchs

The Biden autopen regime’s final days in power were marked by a frenzied, unchecked spending spree — one that saw $93 billion in taxpayer-funded loans and commitments handed out by the Department of Energy (DOE) in just 76 days. This staggering figure, more than double the total loaned in the previous 15 years combined, reveals a desperate last-ditch effort by unelected oligarchs to funnel taxpayer money into the hands of politically connected entities before President Trump could take office.

During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Energy Secretary Christopher Wright confirmed that many of these loans were approved without basic due diligence — no business plans, no financials, just empty promises. The sheer scale of this financial recklessness exposes the Biden autopen regime’s true legacy: a government hijacked by elites who treated the Treasury as their personal slush fund.

Key points:

  • The Biden Department of Energy rushed $93 billion in loans and commitments in just 76 days — more than double the total from the previous 15 years.
  • Many recipients had no business plans or financial records, raising serious fraud concerns. Energy Secretary Christopher Wright admitted oversight was nonexistent, calling the spending “shameful.”
  • The DOE’s budget ballooned from 60billionto60billionto160 billion under Biden, with zero accountability. This mirrors other last-minute money grabs, including a $100 billion EPA grant scheme exposed by Project Veritas.

The 76-day money laundering frenzy

Between the 2024 election and Biden’s departure, the DOE transformed into a financial free-for-all. Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) grilled Wright on how such massive sums could be approved scrutiny scrutiny.

“So you’re telling me that the Department of Energy… gave or loaned money to entities that had no business plan?” Kennedy demanded.

“Correct,” Wright replied.

“No financials?”

“Correct.”

Wright confirmed that applicants often submitted half-baked ideas, with some promising to develop a business plan after receiving taxpayer funds. The lack of oversight was so blatant that Wright admitted his “blood pressure is rising” just reviewing the reckless spending.

Kennedy summed it up perfectly: “They were spending money at the Department of Energy like it was ditch water.”

Keep reading

Trump agency uncovers ‘one of the largest’ food stamp fraud, bribery schemes

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employee and five others are under arrest as of Friday morning, after allegedly misappropriating tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer food stamp funds.

“At [the] USDA, we are hyper-focused… on rooting out that waste, fraud and abuse, and… yesterday was, if not the largest, one of [the] largest stings,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Friday on “Mornings with Maria.”

“This is a new day, and President Trump promised, as he was traveling across the country over the last few years,” she continued, “that it would not be the government that we know.”

With the assistance of the FBI and U.S. attorney’s office, six individuals have been criminally charged with a bribe and fraud scheme that generated more than $66 million in unauthorized transactions under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as food stamps.

Keep reading

Three Judges Blocking Trump’s Tariffs Have Decades-Long Histories of Democrat Activism

The judges on the U.S. Court of International Trade who ruled that President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs are illegal have a history of Democrat Party activism.

Each of the members of the three-judge panel issuing the Wednesday ruling – which was stayed Thursday by an appeals court, allowing the tariffs to continue – fit the profile of other activists judges who continued their political activism after joining the court.

Judges Gary Katzmann, Timothy Reif, and Jane Restani have histories of supporting Democrat candidates that span as far back as 45 years ago and have thwarted Trump’s authority in both of his administrations, earning allegations of judicial activism.

Trump teed off on the judges Thursday night on Truth Social. “Where do these initial three Judges come from?” he asked. “How is it possible for them to have potentially done such damage to the United States of America? Is it purely a hatred of “TRUMP?” What other reason could it be?”

Katzmann, nominated by Barack Obama in 2015, attended Columbia, Oxford, and Yale Law School and later clerked for Stephen Breyer (while Breyer was on the First Circuit Court of Appeals). He was a researcher at the Center for Criminal Justice at Harvard Law School as well as a lecturer at Harvard Law School.

Although Katzmann is a registered unaffiliated voter in Massachusetts, he voted in the 2018, 2016, and 2014 Democrat primaries.

Keep reading

Progressive Nashville Mayor Investigated for Obstructing ICE Agents

Democrat Freddie O’Connell, who has positioned himself as a progressive mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, is currently under investigation for allegedly obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Republican Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles announced on Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and congressional judiciary committees are investigating whether Mayor O’Connell used federal tax dollars “in criminal enterprise” to obstruct ICE operations while allegedly aiding and abetting illegal migrants. As Breitbart News reported, O’Connell made “waves nationally after making Metro Immigration Interactions public”:

According to WZTV, the public information includes “federal immigration authorities’ names.” The Democrat maintains he is doing this as a form of “transparency,” but Republicans are warning that this fundamentally puts agents in danger.

“@freddieoconnell is putting ICE agents and law enforcement in harm’s way by releasing their names for criminal gangs to see,” Blackburn said in a social media post, explaining why the move is so risky.

“These men and women have risked their lives to make our communities safer by removing gangs, rapists, and other heinous criminals from our communities. Shame on him,” she continued.

In a Monday press conference at the Tennessee State capital, Ogles claimed that the mayor has been aiding “murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, sexual predators, child traffickers.”

“I will always stand on the rule of law and with ICE. And I don’t just stand with ICE; I’ll stand in front of ICE because we the people have had enough,” Ogles said. “Due to the remarks of Freddie O’Connell and the potential for aiding and abetting illegal immigration, the Homeland Security and the judiciary committees will be conducting an investigation into the mayor of Nashville, his conduct and whether or not federal dollars have been used in criminal enterprise.”

According to the New York Post, ICE agents “working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol had busted nearly 200 immigrants — many criminals with gang affiliations — in a joint operation earlier this month.”

“After the arrests, O’Connell signed an executive order requiring city departments to inform the mayor’s office within a certain time frame after communicating with federal immigration authorities,” noted the NY Post.

Keep reading

Expect Trump’s Military Parade to Cost More Than the Army Says

President Donald Trump boasted on Monday that his hosting of a military parade in Washington, D.C., next month to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary — coincidentally the same date as his 79th birthday — was an act of divine intervention.

“We’re going to have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years,” he said during a Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery. “Can you imagine? I missed that four years, and now look what I have, I have everything. Amazing the way things work out. God did that.”

The massive military parade and related festivities planned for June 14 will cost an estimated $25 to $45 million, according to the Army. This is likely a significant underestimate due to many expenses that are unaccounted for – or will be billed later, such as damages to local infrastructure caused by armored vehicles. Members of Congress are already expressing outrage at what they see as a gross misuse of funds.

“Trump squandering $45 million in taxpayer dollars on a military parade for his birthday is the epitome of government waste,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “If the Trump Administration truly cared about celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Army, they would honor past and present soldiers and reinstate the thousands of veterans who they fired from the federal workforce — not throw away millions on an extravagant parade.”

The purpose of the parade is also seemingly up for interpretation. The White House now says the parade is a celebration of the Army’s semiquincentennial after, last month, denying reports that a parade would be held on the president’s birthday. Trump, for his part, has offered shifting explanations, stating that the parade is a celebration of Flag Day, the military writ large, or tanks and other weaponry.

The current plan, nonetheless, involves a martial spectacle reminiscent of the Soviet Union or North Korea in the heart of America’s capital, with armored vehicles rolling down Constitution Avenue. It is slated to involve more than 100 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored personnel carriers, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, four M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, as well as military relics like World War II-era Sherman tanks, a B-25 bomber, and a P-51 Mustang single-seat fighter plane, according to Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith. She added that the parade will also feature 34 horses, two mules, one wagon, and one dog.

Keep reading

States Have Generated Nearly $25 Billion In Marijuana Tax Revenue Since First Markets Opened, New Report Finds

States have generated nearly $25 billion in revenue from recreational cannabis since the first sales started over a decade ago, according to a new report from a leading advocacy group.

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) also said that in 2024 alone, states collected $4.4 billion in recreational cannabis tax revenue—the most ever garnered in a single year. Seven states took in over $200 million each, with four of those seeing more than $500 million in revenue and one exceeding $1 billion.

“At a time when federal funding cuts are putting pressure on states’ budgets, adult-use cannabis taxes are bringing billions of dollars into states’ coffers,” Lauren Daly, interim executive director at MPP, said in a press release.

“Legal adult-use markets have also contributed to significant job growth, creating thousands of new employment and small business opportunities,” she said. “While economic growth isn’t the primary reason for legalizing adult-use cannabis, it is undeniably a great benefit.”

The new adult-use-focused analysis does not account for additional revenue that states have collected from medical marijuana sales.

MPP has been consistently tracking state cannabis tax data, and this latest report shows that states generated about $200 million more in 2024 compared to 2023.

“Cannabis prohibition destroys lives by tearing apart families and creating life-altering criminal records that stand in the way of jobs, housing, and an education,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at MPP, said. “Cannabis legalization dramatically reduces the number of arrests and wasted law enforcement resources, while generating billions of dollars in new revenue that can improve residents’ wellbeing.”

Keep reading

Education Department Finds $90 Million in Improper Student Aid Payments

The Department of Education has uncovered nearly $90 million in federal student aid that was disbursed to people who were not eligible, including thousands of deceased individuals, it said on May 28.

The agency released the findings on May 28 as part of a broader effort to restore oversight tools and reduce fraud in federal student aid programs. Officials said the improper payments occurred over the past three years and were tied in part to lapses in verification systems that had been paused.

“From start to finish—filling out the [Free Application for Federal Student Aid] form to loan repayment—the American taxpayer underwrites federal student aid programs,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We are committed to protecting and responsibly investing their hard-earned dollars.”

According to the department, more than $30 million of the improper payments went to recipients who were listed as deceased. A cross-check with the Social Security Death Index flagged the error. Officials said they have strengthened real-time data-sharing with the Social Security Administration to help prevent similar mistakes in the future.

Other cases involved identity fraud and immigration-related ineligibility. In March, the department resumed flagging suspicious Free Application for Federal Student Aid applications using data models designed to catch inconsistencies or signs of identity misuse. A recent review found that nearly $40 million in Direct Loans and $6 million in Pell Grants had been issued to people who did not qualify.

Officials said individuals granted immigration parole status—temporary permission to remain in the country—are not immediately eligible for aid. To better identify these cases, the department said it has received updated data from the Department of Homeland Security.

Keep reading

Ric Grenell Reveals Insane Amount Of Fake Revenue Reportedly Discovered in Kennedy Center’s Books

Ric Grenell, the Interim Executive Director of the Kennedy Center, said an internal investigation reportedly found $26 million in fake revenue, adding that “people need to be prosecuted.”

“Our great new CFO [Donna Arduin] went through the 2024 and 2025 budgets of the Kennedy Center and found $26 million in phantom revenue,” Grenell said in a clip shared on X on Wednesday from a recent event at the White House for the famed venue.

“Fake revenue,” he added. “It’s criminal. We are going to refer this to the U.S. Attorney’s office here [Washington, D.C.]. We are lucky enough to have the Attorney General on the board of the Kennedy Center, who heard all the details today. She [Judge Jeanine Pirro] heard the details, and this is unacceptable in America to have … fraud on previous donors.”

Grenell recently spoke to Mark Halperin on his “2 Way” podcast, and the former U.S. ambassador to Germany and U.S. Envoy for Special Missions did not hold back about the alleged fraud they had discovered, promising that there would be an investigation by the Department of Justice and the FBI into the matter.

“What we just found, and we’re going to turn over to DOJ and the FBI for an investigation … our forensic new CFO went through the books for ’24 and ’25, found $26 million in phantom revenue,” Grenell said. “And so the problem that we have with $26 million in phantom revenue is they were telling the board that we had this revenue–We’re going to release all of the details to the FBI and to DOJ to look at this because it’s fraud.”

“They were literally lying about how the finances were,” he added. “And let me just finish with this, for the last nine months, well before we got there, we have been paying the staff at the Kennedy Center through debt reserves.

Keep reading

After Backlash, White House Prepares Rescissions Bill To Codify Some DOGE Cuts

The big question in recent weeks: Why are House Republicans hesitating to codify the waste and fraud identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) into law?

Musk’s CBS News interview on Tuesday, where he called the “Big, Beautiful Bill” (BBB) a “disappointment,” appears to have kicked off a broader information campaign aimed at pressuring the White House to push House Republicans toward formally codifying some DOGE-related spending cuts.

By Wednesday afternoon, Politico reported, citing two anonymous Republican sources, that the White House plans to send a rescissions bill (appropriations bill) to Congress next week to formally propose the spending cuts.

The package is expected to target funding for NPR, PBS, and certain foreign aid agencies previously reduced under President Trump.

Here’s more from the report: 

The package set to land on Capitol Hill is expected to reflect only a fraction of the DOGE cuts, which have already fallen far short of Musk’s multi-trillion-dollar aspirations. The two Republicans said it will target NPR and PBS, as well as foreign aid agencies that have already been gutted by President Donald Trump’s administration.

House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that the House is “eager and ready” to act on the DOGE findings, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune and others voiced frustration over the delay.

Keep reading

Waste of the Day: Military Owns 100+ Golf Courses

That may be an underestimate. The golf courses have been in watchdogs’ crosshairs for decades, with Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI) calling out the Pentagon in 1975 for spending $14 million per year maintaining 300 golf courses. The number of courses has seemingly fallen since, but the Pentagon has also removed some from its lists or listed separate courses as one facility.

Maintenance costs vary. One Army golf course in Virginia costs around $1 million per year to operate and spent $406,000 replacing golf carts in 2021. MIC.com reported in 2012 that a “very conservative estimate” of annual costs for all the golf courses is $140 million.  

The golf courses are banned from receiving money from Congress and are supposed to fund themselves with membership fees, private donations and other sources of revenue. Still, it’s fair to wonder why private donations to the military help pay for golf instead of actual warfighting capabilities.

There are also ways around the rules. The Government Accountability Office found in 1996 that 40% of military golf courses were losing money and using taxpayer funds to cover their losses.

The U.S. Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington D.C. is technically not part of the DOD, and for years its golf course operated using taxpayer money and 50-cent deductions from military paychecks.

Keep reading