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California cries ‘political hit job’ as Trump team targets billions in unemployment fraud
California Post ^ | 2/19/26 | Josh Koehn

Posted on 02/19/2026 3:15:49 PM PST by Libloather

California officials blasted the Trump administration’s plans to launch a full-sale investigation into unemployment fraud as ”purely political” — and blamed lost money on the feds.

The US Department of Labor intends to send a “strike team” to dig into COVID-19 pandemic-era fraud involving California’s Employment Development Department, The Post exclusively reported Wednesday.

California is believed to have lost as much as tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment payouts.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the Biden administration “turned a blind eye” to stolen money and vowed to fully examine the scope of theft that occurred early in the pandemic.

“This ends now,” Chavez-DeRemer said.

EDD officials told The Post they have already taken numerous efforts to combat fraud, launching more than 2,300 investigations and securing 670 convictions with the help of Fraud Special Counsel McGregor Scott, a former US attorney.

“The Trump administration’s announcement today is purely political,” an EDD spokesperson told The Post by email.

“The fraud referenced is the result of a program poorly designed by the federal government, which created fraud at a nationwide scale.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: billions; california; crackifornia; demagogicparty; fraud; gavinnewsom; lorichavezderemer; sociopath; sparklebeachken; unemployment
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It's not a crime until you get caught. Diversion is important. Go after Lori's spouse.
1 posted on 02/19/2026 3:15:49 PM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather

LOL. The DOJ is going to find solid evidence of massive fraud. The only defense will be to scream about a political hit job.


2 posted on 02/19/2026 3:19:09 PM PST by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: Libloather

California will make Minnesota disappear from the news.


3 posted on 02/19/2026 3:35:36 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: Libloather


"full-sale investigation"


Was this a typo? (Or did I miss something?!)
4 posted on 02/19/2026 3:37:38 PM PST by Bikkuri ('China and India were ever going to be serious allies hasn’t been paying attention)
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To: Libloather

HOORAY Lori Chavez-DeRemer!


5 posted on 02/19/2026 3:53:03 PM PST by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: Libloather

You would think it would approval than audit, that they’re not doing anything wrong?


6 posted on 02/19/2026 4:29:48 PM PST by bobrlbob (I BELIEVE IN LAW AND ORDER. )
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To: Libloather

California spends something like $7.5 Billion on unemployment annually while it takes in $5 billion in employment tax revenues. Figure several billion in fraud -easy The big get is disability. California spends about $350 billion a year in disability payments and the fraud is off the charts.


7 posted on 02/19/2026 4:37:18 PM PST by rdcbn1 (..when poets buy guns, tourist season is over................Walter R. Mead)
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To: Libloather

Isn’t California our most populous state? Of course it makes sense that a huge amount of fraud took place there. Good Lord, liberals are exhausting.


8 posted on 02/19/2026 4:55:05 PM PST by Prince of Space (I cannot hate the media enough!)
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To: Libloather

What else would they “cry”. “You bass turds caught us again”?


9 posted on 02/19/2026 6:21:21 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (**** ICE (Illegal Criminal Emigrants).)
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To: Libloather

After the bogus lawfare pursued against Trump a healthy dose of payback is just what the doctor ordered.


10 posted on 02/19/2026 11:30:45 PM PST by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: rdcbn1

“The big get is disability. California spends about $350 billion a year in disability payments and the fraud is off the charts”

In L.A. the TV commercials run daily for Lawyers promising they know the in and outs of getting you approved for disability payments. They along with the slip and fall lawyers are loathsome creatures and I’d wager 95% of their political donations goes to Rats.


11 posted on 02/20/2026 3:08:13 AM PST by DAC21
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