Tag: welfare

DOJ Sues States Over Alleged Failure To Turn Over Food Stamp Data

The Trump administration has sued four states, accusing them of withholding crucial data on food stamp applicants.

Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania refused to turn over information to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that would let federal officials identify fraud, Trump administration lawyers said in lawsuits filed on June 26 against the states.

Officials are asking judges to enter injunctions that would force state authorities to hand over the last five years of applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the food stamp program known as SNAP.

The USDA requested the SNAP data in 2025, citing an executive order from President Donald Trump that directed agencies to stop waste, fraud, and abuse, and many states complied with the request.

Data from those states showed that states had enrolled some 186,000 people in SNAP despite those people being deceased, among the discrepancies that added up to $3 billion in wasteful spending, the department said in a report.

The government spends nearly $100 billion a year on SNAP.

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US SNAP Payment-Error-Rate Hits High Of 10.62%

The national payment error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) hit 10.62 percent for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, far exceeding the 6 percent threshold set by Congress.

“While this is a modest decrease from FY 2024, the FY 2025 rate still shows significant waste at the state level,“ the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a June 24 statement.

”Including both overpayments and underpayments, this year’s rate represents a collective $10.1 billion in improper payments nationwide.”

The payment error rate measures how accurately states calculate SNAP eligibility and the amounts that beneficiaries receive.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump last year, established a State Quality Control Incentive provision under which states must pay a percentage of SNAP program bills if their payment error rate exceeds a certain limit.

A state with an error rate of 6 percent to 8 percent will be required to fund 5 percent of the benefits. This scales up as error rates get higher. States with error rates of 10 percent or more must fund 15 percent of benefits.

“[This has instituted] real financial consequences for states that mismanage taxpayer dollars,” the USDA stated, noting that these rules could come into effect as soon as Oct. 1, 2027.

States with error rates exceeding 6 percent are also required to submit a Corrective Action Plan to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, explaining how they intend to address the root causes of the high error rates. Some states may end up getting financially penalized.

“These payment error rates are further proof that state accountability is severely lacking in SNAP,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said.

“USDA has taken historic action to help interested states curb SNAP waste, and I hope other states, regardless of political leadership, prioritize needy families and the American taxpayer over politics.”

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Leader of Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme Arrested in Somalia

The leader of the largest Minnesota pandemic-era fraud scheme was arrested in Mogadishu, Somalia, this week.

Abdikerm Eidleh, 43, was finally taken into custody this week, more than three years after he was indicted in the ‘Feeding Our Future’ fraud probe.

A total of 78 people were indicted or charged by the DOJ in connection with the $350 million Feeding Our Future scheme.

CBS News reported:

An alleged leader of the largest pandemic-era fraud scheme in the country was arrested overseas after being on the run for more than four years, according to federal officials.

Abdikerm Eidleh, 43, was arrested in Mogadishu, Somalia, earlier this week in a daytime raid coordinated by both the FBI and Somali intelligence agencies. He was indicted in September 2022 as part of the sweeping $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud investigation.

“This is a big fish,” Daniel Rosen, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, told CBS News. “Eidleh was a key leader and was responsible for bribing and recruiting business to steal from the American taxpayer.”

Rosen said Eidleh was “second in command” to Aimee Bock, the convicted ringleader of the scheme, who was just sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.

Investigators allege Eidleh personally collected $5 million in bribes and kickbacks after instructing restaurants and catering businesses to inflate receipts submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for reimbursement.

Earlier this month, one of the FBI’s most wanted fraud suspects in the massive Feeding Our Future scandal was finally returned to face justice.

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Federal Judge Quashes Grand Jury Subpoenas Targeting Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey in DOJ’s Immigration Enforcement Investigation

A federal judge on Monday quashed grand jury subpoenas issued to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other Minnesota officials.

US District Judge Patrick Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee said the subpoenas were retaliatory.

The Justice Department in January issued subpoenas to Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and other far-left Minnesota officials.

The DOJ previously launched a criminal investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and far-left Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for interfering with ICE operations.

According to CBS News, the investigation centered around public statements made by Walz and Frey.

Thousands of federal agents were deployed to Minneapolis to arrest illegal alien criminals earlier this year.

Both Governor Walz and Mayor Frey have lashed out at the Trump Administration for dispatching ICE agents to Minnesota.

Mayor Frey demanded that residents and local police fight ICE agents in the street.

The DOJ issued subpoenas to six Minnesota officials.

“From the beginning of his current term in office, President Trump and members of his administration have taken aim at so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions-that is, jurisdictions “that limit the use of local resources to assist in federal immigration enforcement,”” the judge wrote.

“President Trump has repeatedly insulted Minnesota generally and its Somali population in particular; targeted Democratic-led cities for expanded deportation efforts;3 asserted that Democratic officials who oppose the deployment of National Guard troops for immigration enforcement should be jailed; issued multiple executive orders threatening to cut off federal funding to “sanctuary” jurisdictions;5 and sued Minnesota and some of its political subdivisions seeking to invalidate state and local provisions limiting assistance to federal immigration officials,” the judge said.

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Corrupt Obama Judge Amy Berman Jackson Shuts Down Trump Administration’s SNAP Junk Food Restrictions

A federal judge on Monday shut down the Trump Administration’s pilot program restricting the purchase of soda and junk food with SNAP benefits.

US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins applied the wrong law in approving a pilot program for states that wanted to restrict junk food purchases.

23 states applied for the pilot program in an effort to limit the purchase of soda, candy and other junk food.

Plaintiffs in five states filed the lawsuit against Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Judge Berman Jackson’s ruling applies to five states: West Virginia, Tennessee, Colorado, Iowa and Nebraska.

Politico reported:

A federal judge on Monday scrapped a set of state pilot programs intended to restrict the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program money to purchase unhealthy foods.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, wrote in her decision that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who oversees the SNAP program, misapplied federal law in approving requests from states to allow them to impose limits on what participants can buy with funds from the nation’s largest food aid program. Her ruling applies to Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.

“With her solicitation and approval of the pilot projects in this case, the Secretary purports to waive not just a mere administrative or technical obstacle, but the very definition of ‘food’ as it was laid down by Congress,” Berman wrote. “Neither the USDA nor the states can force this square peg into a round hole to avoid the plain language of the statute and the requirements of 2026(k),” referencing the part of the statute that addresses projects to help improve SNAP households’ health status.

Jackson’s ruling could jeopardize one of the biggest policy achievements of the Make America Healthy Again agenda. Rollins and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have urged states to submit food restriction plans, arguing that they will improve health outcomes and that federal dollars shouldn’t be funding junk food.

Kennedy also incentivized the states to apply by tying some federal rural health care funding to whether states had applied for a waiver to limit foods like soda in SNAP.

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Ellison lashes out at reporter over $8B fraud question

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison snapped at a reporter regarding his handling of the Minnesota fraud scandal after Vice President JD Vance demanded Ellison to be investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) amid a widely reported $8 billion Medicaid fraud scheme.

After a Fox News reporter inquired if there was anything Ellison would have done differently prior to the $8 billion fraud accusations, the attorney general replied quickly.

“So, that is a false number,” Ellison said. “The fact is, is that fraud is always wrong.”

“Why don’t you give me a break, man?” he continued. “Fraud is always wrong. We prosecute over 341 cases of Medicaid fraud.”

When the reporter stated he had wanted Ellison to clear up the number and was citing a variety of reports, Ellison continued to accuse the journalist of biased reporting.

“The number you mentioned is tightly identified with people of a very unique political persuasion—aligned with the Trump Administration,” the attorney general claimed

“It’s wrong though. And if you’re a real reporter, you should know that,” he said, pointing to the Fox News reporter.

“So, I’m done talking to you,” he snapped. “Bye-bye.”

The $8 billion figure has been frequently referenced by the House Oversight Committee as well as First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who have stated that potentially billions of dollars were lost to fraud in Minnesota’s public assistance programs.

Thompson stated that investigators believe that about half of the $18 billion paid through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 could have been part of a major fraud scheme.

The scandal captured national headlines due to congressional probes and numerous major fraud cases tied to federally funded programs in nutrition, education and Medicaid. Prosecutors also claim several nonprofits tapped off millions in taxpayer funds through sophisticated schemes, many of which expanded amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prominent examples, such as the Feeding Our Future scheme, have been linked to Minnesota’s Somali community. Investigators for the House Oversight Committee have also asserted that Ellison received several warnings about widespread fraud years before the scandal became public, based on interviews with state education, human services and executive branch officials.

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CRA records show temporary residents received $1.35 billion in child benefits over four years

Newly obtained Canada Revenue Agency records show temporary residents received more than $1.35 billion in Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments between 2020 and 2023, including $369.1 million in 2023 alone.

The figures were disclosed in response to an access-to-information request seeking a breakdown of Canada Child Benefit payments by immigration status.

According to the records, temporary residents received $313.8 million in CCB payments in 2020, $356.3 million in 2021, $311.1 million in 2022, and $369.1 million in 2023, for a four-year total of approximately $1.35 billion.

The 2023 figures show temporary residents received more in child benefit payments than protected persons and refugees, who received $345.9 million that year. The CRA also reported nearly $18.9 million in payments to individuals classified as having “no status.”

The Canada Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment intended to help eligible families with the cost of raising children. Eligibility is not limited to Canadian citizens. Certain temporary residents may qualify if they meet residency requirements and have valid immigration status.

The records also show permanent residents received $6.29 billion in child benefit payments in 2023, while Canadian citizens received $18.76 billion. Total federal CCB spending that year exceeded $25.8 billion.

CRA notes accompanying the records state that individuals listed under “No Status” and “Unknown” may still qualify for benefits if their spouse was a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, protected person, or temporary resident during the year.

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Oregon County Prioritizing Housing Aid for Non-White and ‘LGBTQIA2S+’ Homeless Over Struggling Families, DOJ Vows Lawsuit if They Don’t Stop

Multnomah County, Oregon, which is home to Portland, is using a points-based screening system that awards extra priority for housing assistance based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

The policy, part of the county’s Multnomah Services and Screening Tool (MSST) rolled out in 2024, is under fire for not using traditional measures of need to determine who gets assistance, such as length of homelessness, domestic violence survival, and having young children.

Multnomah County uses the MSST through its Coordinated Access process to prioritize who gets access to its limited housing resources.

The tool prioritizes groups described as “over-represented” in the local homeless population, including non-white households and “LGBTQIA2S+” individuals.

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FBI Captures Fugitive Who Scammed $1.2 Billion in Medicare Fraud Hiding in the Philippines

Earlier in June, the FBI announced the arrest of a 60-year-old fugitive found residing in the Philippines who fled the United States after failing to appear for his sentencing in connection with pleading guilty to numerous federal charges involving healthcare fraud back in 2019.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest of 60-year-old Herbert Leon Kimble via social media on June 19th, highlighting how the apprehended fugitive was among those listed on the agency’s “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list.

According to authorities, Kimble had run a Medicare fraud scheme between 2014 and 2019, reportedly amassing $1.2 billion in ill-gotten gains from the scheme which largely targeted elderly beneficiaries. The aforementioned operation reportedly consisted of call centers attempting to convince patients to acquire medically unnecessary orthopedic braces.

In April of 2019, Kimble reportedly pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and mail fraud among other similar charges, reportedly entering into an agreement with the federal government to help build cases “against other co-conspirators” which lasted for years. However, when Kimble was scheduled to appear in court on October 7th, 2024, for sentencing, he reportedly went on the run.

An international manhunt ensued, with authorities suspecting he was residing in Manila, Philippines. After nearly two years on the lam, authorities located the fugitive in the Philippines and he has since been returned to the United States, according to Director Patel.

In Director Patel’s statement regarding Kimble’s arrest, he emphasized, “President Trump set a mandate to end the abuse of hardworking taxpayer money and each and every day this team will be committed to delivering.”

Kimble’s arrest serves as the second high-profile apprehension carried out with respect to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in recent weeks, with 47-year-old Said Abdullahi Ereg having been arrested earlier in June after self-surrendering to authorities in Minneapolis. Officials claim Ereg engaged in fraud totaling $4.2 million during the pandemic via submitting false claims of hot meals served to those in need under the Federal Child Nutrition Program.

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Jamaican National in North Carolina Indicted for Brazen Sham Marriage Immigration Fraud — Used Fake Union to Fast-Track U.S. Citizenship Then Scam VA Disability Benefits by Claiming Phantom Husband as Dependent

A 26-year-old Jamaican national living in Charlotte has been federally indicted for a calculated, multi-year scheme involving sham marriage immigration fraud, lying under oath to obtain U.S. citizenship, and then using that fraudulently acquired status to improperly claim VA disability benefits by listing her never-cohabitating “husband” as a dependent.

Britney Sherene Curry entered the United States on a six-month B-2 tourist visa on August 27, 2015 and promptly overstayed it by more than a decade. Rather than face deportation, she allegedly paid a third party to arrange a fraudulent marriage to a U.S. citizen.

According to the Department of Justice, Curry and her “husband” met for the first time on their wedding day and never lived together before or after the marriage.

After the sham marriage, Curry became a lawful permanent resident. That status allowed her to enlist in the U.S. Army, which in turn let her apply for naturalization almost immediately, bypassing the normal three-year waiting period for spouses of citizens.

She allegedly lied under penalty of perjury on immigration documents about the legitimacy of her marriage. Once naturalized, she even petitioned for her mother to receive lawful permanent resident status.

Less than two years after enlisting, Curry received a medical discharge from the Army. She then filed for VA disability compensation and listed her sham husband as a dependent to boost her monthly benefits, despite never having lived with him and not having seen him since before she joined the military.

According to the DOJ, “Under federal statutes, Curry is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud and mail fraud charges, up to 10 years in prison on some of the immigration charges, and faces the possibility of being denaturalized. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.”

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