Free Republic

In some massive news for those wanting to see fraudsters held accountable for their awful crimes against the public, the Department of Justice and FBI announced that it had arrested nearly 6 dozen fraudsters in the deep blue state of Minnesota over a scheme in which they stole $250 million from a program meant to feed hungry children. As background, the $250 million fraud scheme targeted a children’s nutrition program that was created during the COVID-19 pandemic and called “Feeding our Future.” It was meant to reimburse the costs of feeding children during the pandemic, so as to keep kids...

It has been reported that of the tens of millions in Fire Aid money distributed so far since the January benefit concerts for Los Angeles’ wildfire victims, all has gone to nonprofits, not directly to residents impacted. Sue Pasco, the editor at Circling the News who also lost her home in the Palisades fire, spoke with Fox 11 on the discovery. She said that a reader had sent her a message saying, "I’ve never seen any Fire Aid money. How do I apply for Fire Aid money?" What she discovered was that the initial $50 million given in the first...

Los Angeles was devastated by wildfires back in January, and the area is still feeling the impacts of the disaster. So when $100 million was raised by two FireAid concerts at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, featuring acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Billie Elish, and Jelly Roll, you'd have thought the money would make its way to fire victims. Well, it's not that simple. Sue Pascoe, editor-in-chief at Circling The News, has the story of how this money ended up not going to fire victims, but instead making its way to...

Following the wildfires that ravaged the Los Angeles area earlier this year, Democrats and a bunch of celebrities did a fundraising event called ‘FireAid’ that brought in a ton of cash, some reports say it was almost $100 million. Yet none of the victims have seen a penny of if it. Independent investigative journalist Sue Pascoe began looking into this and found that all of the money was apparently distributed to non-profit groups in the area, some of which have absolutely nothing to do with fire recovery. Is there a more perfect example of liberalism than this? Rather than giving...

The Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hastily shoveled billions in taxpayer dollars to Democrat-aligned green groups without having concrete agreements in place, according to documents obtained by watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT). The documents indicate that the Biden EPA awarded grants under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) — a program that shelled out $20 billion to nonprofits linked to Democrat donors and insiders — on a timeline that allowed changes to the terms even after the money was awarded. The Biden EPA had until September 2024 to award the taxpayer funds, and staff were advised to delay...

https://x.com/doge/status/1946345134724886702Department of Government Efficiency@DOGEGreat partnership and collaboration with the @CMSGov team to help eliminate $14B in duplicative Medicaid and ACA enrollment. After identifying the correct databases and validating datasets, the CMS and DOGE teams were able to uncover 2.8 million Americans improperly enrolled in multiple programs.CMS will be working with states to delete duplicative enrollments and ensure that NO individuals lose their one, lawful health insurance policy. As a result of this effort, beneficiaries will now receive the appropriate level of care without placing undue burden on the American taxpayer.DrOzCMS@DrOzCMS·Jul 17CMS found 2.8 million Americans enrolled in two or more...

Unnecessary, Duplicate Enrollment Wasting $14 Billion Annually The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continue to crush fraud, waste, and abuse in America’s healthcare programs by stopping duplicative enrollment in government health programs, with the potential to save taxpayers approximately $14 billion annually. A recent analysis of 2024 enrollment data identified 2.8 million Americans either enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in multiple states or simultaneously enrolled in both Medicaid/CHIP and a subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchange plan. CMS is taking action to ensure individuals are only enrolled in one program and to stop...

A Toronto police officer suggested that residents leave their car keys by the front door to avoid a home invasion, seemingly to let criminals steal their vehicle if they break in, leave and avoid injuries. The Toronto Police Service issued a statement Wednesday confirming that an officer made the remarks at a recent community meeting. The officer suggested “that people leave the keys to their vehicle in a faraday bag by the front door,” the statement said. “While well meaning, there are also other ways to prevent auto theft motivated home invasions,” it continued. Faraday bags block signal-duplicating devices used...

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres wants to “turn the world around” but is lacking in one thing: other people’s money. On Monday the veteran Portuguese socialist acknowledged the financial shortfall and demanded the world step up and give to the globalist organization to fill the gap in aid donations. Guterres made his call at a meeting in Valencia, Spain, citing a “$4 trillion financing gap” as cause for immediate action. He noted “massive headwinds” exist since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew USAID contributions to U.N. projects soon after he returned to the White House via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)...

A nonprofit founded by Georgia Democratic politician Stacey Abrams to protect voting rights paid more than $20 million to a lawyer who is a close friend and helped set up two of her private businesses, according to tax and state incorporation filings and other records obtained by RealClearInvestigations. Abrams’ Fair Fight Action redirected the tax-exempt donations and government grants to Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, her former campaign chair between 2019 and 2023. Most of the funds covered legal expenses charged by the boutique law firm Lawrence-Hardy co-founded, for a failed race-bias lawsuit filed against Abram’s Republican opponent, Gov. Brian Kemp, after she...

The drug turns people into malleable zombies who have nightmarish hallucinationsTHE world's scariest drug Devil's Breath - used by organised crime groups to kidnap Brits abroad - may have made its way into the UK. The mind-warping chemical was once tested by the CIA as a truth serum and turns tourists into "zombies" who give up valuables without a struggle. Deborah Oscar, 30, suspects she was spiked on a London train with ‘Devil’s Breath’ drugCredit: SWNS Also known as scopolamine or burundanga, the powerful drug is derived from the seeds of the Borrachero tree and wipes away memory and free...

The brother-in-law of Vice President Kamala Harris appears to have engineered the greatest transfer of taxpayer dollars to left-wing groups in the history of the United States. Tony West, who is the husband of Harris’ sister Maya, served as the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and awarded massive settlements to groups aligned with the Democrats, even when the Department of Justice appeared to be winning the cases, The New York Post reported. “Until 1977, Congress had to approve any settlement of a civil suit against the Federal government over $100,000,” The Post reported. But facing numerous cases the...

On Thursday, Christina Daniels, 47, of Winder, pled guilty to one count of theft of government money, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years of imprisonment. According to court documents, between January 2023 to May 2024, Daniels, who was employed at the Social Security Administration office in Norcross, changed direct deposit information for 28 beneficiaries. The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said Daniels was a customer service representative, and that’s how she was able to make changes...

CNN — A former jewelry store manager in the United Kingdom was sentenced to 28 months in prison after posting selfies wearing stolen merchandise and sending them to her coworkers, Humberside Police said in a statement. Lucy Roberts, 39, frequently took jewelry home with her during the year she worked at a high-end shop, police said, telling suspicious coworkers she “was conducting work at home and sorting stock for the workshop.” The police statement does not name the store. It was only when Roberts quit and went on vacation that her colleagues realized where the jewelry went, the statement says....

This is one of those stories you sort of hear about a couple of weeks before, and maybe forget about unless some little nugget of information comes along that makes you want to dig a little deeper into it. Which is exactly what happened to me this morning.I do recall maybe even commenting on X when the first word about this broke. The big story was the raid on Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, Nebraska, about two weeks ago. It wasn't so much the raid itself, but the number of illegals that they rounded up, which caught people's attention at...

The left-wing Denver city council voted unanimously to shutter its anti-theft auto license plate tracking system because ICE could use the data to deport illegals. In May, the council voted against renewing the $666,000 contract with Flock that was launched about a year ago. The camera system monitors the area around 70 Denver intersections and was set up to screen for car theft. The system, which reportedly scans 2 million cars per month, has already resulted in the recovery of 170 stolen cars and 300 arrests. The camera data has also helped the Denver Police Department (DPD) to investigate hit-and-runs...

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is slamming the Biden administration for what he calls an “absolutely infuriating” last-minute spending spree, revealing that more than $90 billion in green energy loans were pushed through by the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office in the weeks between President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection and his January inauguration. In an interview with Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matt Boyle, Wright detailed the results of a newly completed review of the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, revealing that “more than $90 billion in loans were closed or committed in the 76 days between...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal jury on Monday awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who killed himself nine days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of rioters, including a man who scuffled with the officer during the attack. The eight-member jury ordered that man, 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith for assaulting her husband, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They awarded an additional $60,000 to compensate Jeffrey Smith's estate for his pain...

Car burglars fired at least 30 shots at a 27-year-old man who confronted them during a vehicle break-in... If you discover a theft in progress, do not exit the house to confront an offender. Instead, fire your home defense weapon out a barely opened window while crouched down low. A rifle would work best in terms of accuracy, but a shotgun loaded with slugs would be as good. Handguns are an iffy proposition in these types of events. If it's a catalytic converter thief, try for the lookout first....or the getaway driver. Those are the ones who might shoot back....

Williamsport, Pa. — Police arrested a group of people who allegedly broke into the National Range & Armory in the 500 block of Washington Boulevard. Shamier James Gadson and Tahir Abdul Dixon entered the store through a window on June 6, stealing two rifles, according to affidavits filed on Monday. The men threw a cinderblock into the window, smashing it and causing damage to the building, Agent Christopher Salisbury said.