COVID-19 relief fraud likely 'biggest' in U.S. history

WND is now on Trump's Truth Social! Follow us @WNDNews The U.S. government allotted more than $5 trillion to economic relief programs meant to counter the damage from the COVID-19 virus that apparently originated in Wuhan, China. So fraudsters weren't using their schemes to go after $1,000 or $5,000, They were going after millions, and…

The post COVID-19 relief fraud likely 'biggest' in U.S. history appeared first on WND.

WND is now on Trump's Truth Social! Follow us @WNDNews

The U.S. government allotted more than $5 trillion to economic relief programs meant to counter the damage from the COVID-19 virus that apparently originated in Wuhan, China.

So fraudsters weren't using their schemes to go after $1,000 or $5,000,

They were going after millions, and more.

Now a report at Just the News confirmed "undetermined billions" were siphoned, fraudulently, into the private accounts crooks had set up.

"Biggest fraud that the country's seen," charged Americans for Tax Reform.

Dan Savickas, of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said in the Just the News report that, "The U.S. federal government has already dedicated over $5 trillion to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. "These funds came with very few safeguards to ensure they ended up in the hands of families and businesses that actually needed it."

He explained, by the numbers, "It is estimated that every dollar of wages saved by the relief money cost American taxpayers $4.13. This is not to mention also the inflation that came as a result of this profligate spending."

And he pointed out, "Too many special interests were able to take advantage of the language of these relief bills to line their pockets, leaving taxpayers on the hook. This is just the waste we know about."

The report explained that already, more than 1,000 defendants have been accused criminally of unemployment insurance fraud, with the loss estimated at $45.6 billion.

Another $3.7 billion was "burned" by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in fraudulent payouts, and $1 billion was sent to foreign applicants.

"At least $163 billion in pandemic UI benefits may have been improperly paid, with a significant amount due to fraud, according to a report by the Labor Department inspector general," the report explained.

And a House committee has reported estimates of $84 billion taken from the Paycheck Protection Program through fraud.

Mike Palicz, of Americans for Tax Reform, told Just the News that it was no "exaggeration that this is probably the biggest fraud that the country's seen. The top voter issue right now is inflation. To have that driven by spending that's gone to record-setting fraud is infuriating."

Savickas warned that the full extent of the fraud "may never be" uncovered.

Just the News reported, "David Williams, president of Taxpayers Protection Alliance, told the 'Just the News, Not Noise' TV show on Wednesday that the government was 'so anxious to spend money, but they're not anxious to do the oversight.'"

EDITOR’S NOTE: With what has been called the “Sovietization” of the Biden administration – including the shocking criminalization of dissent and massive weaponization of the FBI against political opponents – America is being increasingly compared to a third-world or communist dictatorship. Yet America still has one sacred institution that dictatorships from Zimbabwe to communist China don’t have: ELECTIONS. And in reality, there is no reason, despite the regime’s all-out efforts at election rigging, that the tens of millions of decent, right-thinking American voters cannot stop the Biden administration’s ever-expanding madness this November. For that reason, the September issue of WND’s critically acclaimed monthly Whistleblower magazine insightfully covers the most electrifying and important races, illuminates the biggest issues, reveals how the latest federal takeover of elections actually violates the law, and much more. Looking forward to 2024, the issue also highlights why, to quote the chairman of a major think tank, Donald Trump “is the most towering political figure in living memory” and the person “most fit to lead” today’s America. It’s all in “STOPPING THE MADNESS: A MIDTERM ELECTION GUIDE FOR VOTERS WHO LOVE AMERICA.”

For 25 years, WND has boldly brought you the news that really matters. If you appreciate our Christian journalists and their uniquely truthful reporting and analysis, please help us by becoming a WND Insider!

Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@wndnewscenter.org.

SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. THANK YOU!

The post COVID-19 relief fraud likely 'biggest' in U.S. history appeared first on WND.