[Breitbart] Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said a Government Accountability Institute (GAO) report found lax oversight by the SBA over hundreds of billions of dollars in coronavirus aid loans and grants doled out during the Biden-administration was either “jaw-dropping incompetence or willful negligence.” Ernst cannot decide which is worse.
The GAO, a nonpartisan watchdog, released a study on the SBA’s four-step antifraud process as the SBA distributed over $1 trillion in loans and grants to over ten million small businesses during the 2020-2022 coronavirus pandemic.
The four-step process consisted of screening, data analytics, human-led reviews, and referrals of likely fraudulent applications to the SBA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Even though the process and various steps were introduced at different times for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (COVID-19 EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP), the “SBA did not implement the process until more than half of the programs’ funding had been approved, thus limiting its impact in preventing fraud,” the GAO wrote.
“Specifically, for COVID-EIDL, over $210 billion of an eventual $385 billion (or about 55 percent) had already been disbursed before the full process was implemented. For the PPP, over $525 billion of an eventual $800 billion (or about 66 percent) had already been approved,” the watchdog group continued.
The GAO recommended that SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler “should collaborate with the SBA’s OIG to develop an effective plan, including the data elements to be provided and the process to be used, for referrals of potential or likely COVID-19 EIDL fraud cases.”
Caitlin O’Dea, a spokesperson for Administrator Loeffler, told Breitbart News that the SBA is working around the clock to hold those who committed fraud accountable. She said in a statement:
The SBA fully supports all efforts to crack down on fraud within its loan programs – in stark contrast to the last Administration, which failed to investigate or address more than $200B in estimated pandemic-era fraud. Under Administrator Loeffler, the SBA has already taken action to enhance fraud prevention and will continue working to hold pandemic-era fraudsters accountable in partnership with law enforcement.
The SBA will not be alone in these efforts.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), the chair of the Senate Small Business Committee and the chair of the Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, said that she remains committed to working with the SBA to find the coronavirus pandemic-era fraud, recouping the funds, and holding the criminals accountable.
“The Biden SBA was completely asleep at the wheel pursuing fraud in pandemic relief programs,” Ernst said in a statement to Breitbart News. The agency’s shortcomings prevented millions of investigations from occurring and allowed potential criminals to get away. This report exposes either jaw-dropping incompetence or willful negligence by the bureaucrats overseeing these programs.”
DOGE recently revealed that $312 million in coronavirus aid fraud went to children under 11 years-old; Ernst said that this fraud was just the “tip of the iceberg.”
Ernst’s office has catalogued many of the ways that coronavirus aid has been abused:
While SBA ran the relief programs on a “first come, first serve” basis, the money ran out quickly, and many qualifying businesses were turned away as felons, gang members, and drug traffickers raked in cash. Some swindlers uploaded pictures of Barbie dolls as photo identification on SBA loan applications that were approved.
One alleged fraudster took home $8 million while nearly 2,000 struggling restaurants in Iowa were left empty-handed. Ernst detailed this in her report titled Small Business COVID-19 Fraud: Three Years Later State of Play – where she outlined the Biden SBA’s effort to discount the full extent of fraud and cast doubt on the legitimate estimates made by expert investigators.
An 2023 Ernst and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) investigation found that there was $5.4 billion in total loans to fraudulent Social Security numbers.
[JustTheNews] Gov. Newsom’s order granting extensions for mandatory ethics disclosures of behested payments in Los Angeles County means it could be easier for corruption to go undetected amid an influx of cash.
(The Center Square) - Los Angeles is seeking a $1.9 billion state bailout after receiving $2.5 billion in state aid thus far.
Los Angeles faces a $1 billion deficit due to spending vastly outpacing revenues — issues that predated the fire and which City Controller Kenneth Mejia has long said are making the city go “broke.”
Much of that funding is set to go toward existing city issues, such as ballooning liability payouts, with $38 million requested to cover revenue lost from the fires.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order granting extensions for mandatory ethics disclosures of behested payments or conflicts of interest for government officials in Los Angeles County means it could be easier for corruption to go undetected amid an influx of cash.
The area’s state legislators sent a joint letter to Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, outlining their funding request.
Longish list of details can be read at the link for those interested.
The legislators are looking for $15 million for emergency housing vouchers for displaced residents and $75.5 million for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to “expedite CalOES processing of FEMA Public Assistance from previous emergencies, particularly COVID-19.”
The last request suggests CalOES has significant unspent funding due to its inability to process paperwork and that the $75.5 million may be required to be spent on processing labor to unlock already allocated, but paperwork-protected funds.
“These amounts reflect the City’s ongoing need for support in the areas of site cleanup, housing assistance, public safety, infrastructure restoration and economic support for impacted communities,” concluded the legislators. “These investments are essential not only for immediate relief but also for fostering the City’s long-term stability and preparedness.”
With the state’s revenue highly reliant on capital gains from the stock market, ongoing market volatility could threaten the state’s proposed $322 billion budget, which includes a $7 billion reserve withdrawal. This revenue volatility could spell trouble for the state’s ability to bail out Los Angeles, as broad budget cuts may be necessary.
"It's rare that states do that because they're usually like 'gimme, gimme, gimme,' but the reality is we all have a role in trying to change the fiscal trajectory of this country," DeSantis said. "The reality is what we're doing is unsustainable."
**unless you are an independent business operator in California who thinks this money will just go to the normal grease while you make up the shortfall, then dealer's choice.
Lara turned up at a conference in Bermuda with industry executives, rather than at a state legislative hearing, as thousands of homeowners are still waiting for help after the Los Angeles fires
[DM] Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has delivered a pointed warning to judges nationwide as local courts have slowed the rollout of Donald Trump's political agenda.
'We do have authority over the federal courts,' Johnson shared at a press conference Tuesday. 'We can eliminate an entire district court,' he noted.
'We do have power over funding over the courts and all these other things. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and Congress is going to act.'
His statement appeared to be a veiled reminder, if not threat, that Congress has their eyes on district judges that have issued injunctions and rulings against Trump's policies.
Though the Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the country, district courts, which have been issuing nationwide rulings foiling White House executive decisions, are overseen by Congress.
The White House has been frustrated with injunctions impeding Trump's immigration, DOGE and other top priorities, prompting the 78-year-old to call for judges standing in his way to get removed.
The president has called for D.C. district court judge James Boasberg to be impeached for issuing an injunction on the administration's deportations of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act.
Trump has also railed against district judge John James McConnell Jr. after he sided with 22 states and the District of Columbia to reinstate the flow of federal grants and loans that the White House froze as DOGE sifted through spending.
Republican lawmakers have already introduced articles of impeachment against McConnell and another Maryland based district judge, Theodore Chuang, who recently ruled that dismantling USAID is unconstitutional.
However, impeachment is unlikely as the maneuver would require Democratic support.
The 2/3rds to win requirement makes Senator Chuck Schumer very happy. Find another way.
Though the speaker later clarified that he was not planning on destroying any court, he did say he wanted to remind people of Congress's many authorities.
Article III of the Constitution states its up to Congress to 'ordain and establish' courts beneath the Supreme Court, meaning lawmakers fund and organize the lower court structure.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is currently looking into ways where Congress can reign in district judges.
Next week the committee is holding a hearing to examine Boasberg and other judge's recent rulings.
Jordan spoke with Trump about the upcoming hearing while the pair were watching the NCAA wrestling championships in Ohio over the weekend.
Eliminating lower courts and redistributing judges to other posts has been ordered by Congress before, but the practice is uncommon.
Judges playing nasty little games at the executive branch is unheard of, but here we are. Spank ‘em good, Mikey!
The issue may come to a head during the upcoming appropriations and government funding process, during which lawmakers may or may not push to defund or reorganize some lower courts.
#3
This headline stinks to high heavens. How about
"House speaker reminds USA that Congress has authority to regulate federal courts below the level of the US Supreme Court".
This is not a "nuke option" This is not impeachment. This is not a "chilling new threat". This may be "uncommon" but is no ways illegal. Abolition of the DC District Court actually happened in 1863 and it was no big deal at the time. Chief Justice Roberts recent BS pronouncement "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision." was an inappropriate response to the spate of insane federal judicial decisions and the spinelessness of the Supremes. Congress and only Congress has the authority & responsibility to impeach federal judges. A Supreme Court justice has no standing on the issue of impeachment, except perhaps to preside over an impeachment trial. It will be interesting to read what crap Roberts will come up with in response to this CHILLING NEW THREAT /S.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
03/26/2025 14:50 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Judges serve for LIFE.
If people are pushed hard enough, or get angry enough, they can do "unusual" things. People have been getting angrier and angrier for more than a decade now. That pressure requires an outlet. Civil war, rioting, open rebellion, are only a few of the choices that MIGHT be made. Someone needs to remind people to "stay in their own lane" or those choices WILL be made. That's human nature, as history records time and time again.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/26/2025 19:03 Comments ||
Top||
#7
"Judges serve for LIFE" Not in the following case:
William Matthew S. Merrick (1818-1899) was appointed federal associate justice of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia by President Franklin Pierce. Merrick served in that court until its abolition by act of Congress. On March 3, 1863, Congress abolished the federal Circuit Court, district court, and criminal court of the District of Columbia, and replaced them with the "Supreme Court of the District of Columbia". This resulted in the removal of judges from the bench (including Judge Merrick) who had ruled against the US in United States ex rel. Murphy v. Porter. Merrick returned to Maryland and resumed the practice of law. He lived another 36 years after losing his position on the abolished federal DC court. He was not impeached. He may have been a federal judge for life, but the court he served on had been legally abolished, so that his "service" for life had become moot.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Donald Trump said he wants to set up a 'compensation fund' for the people who were imprisoned for their roles in the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol, two months after he pardoned them.
On his first day back in the White House, Trump said he was pardoning about 1,500 defendants and issuing six commutations, calling them 'hostages.'
He also directed the attorney general to seek dismissal of about 450 pending criminal cases against Jan. 6 defendants.
The controversial decision fulfilled Trump's promise to release supporters who tried to help him overturn his election defeat four years ago.
Speaking Tuesday, Trump said that he's now looking to find a way to help them out after being suggested that he start up a 'compensation fund.'
'There's a lot of talk about that,' he said about the fund. 'A lot of the people that are in government now talk about it because a lot of the people in government really like that group of people.'
Trump reiterated that he felt that those imprisoned were 'patriots' and added that Joe Biden had treated them 'very unfairly.'
'A group of people went down there, peacefully and patriotically, remember that,' Trump added.
In reaction, liberals melted down over the plan as writer Ron Filipkowski among several others labeled the plan: 'Reparations'
Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, however, added: 'We should vote on this. They should demand a vote on this.'
Newsmax host Greg Kelly also asked Trump about Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by a police officer as she attempted to break through a door while in the Capitol building.
The Department of Justice is still fighting a lawsuit filed by her family and Kelly asked: 'Shouldn’t that be something that can just be settled at this point?'
Trump said that Babbitt 'was a really good person' and said that he would 'look into that.'
The president's controversial decision to pardon those involved in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was made with an expletive at the last minute.
As his team wrestled with the top issues to tackle on Inauguration Day, during their first hours in office, Trump weighed in, saying: 'F **k it: Release 'em all,' a source told Axios.
His decision to sign a blanket pardon for at least 1,500 people charged over the riot in Washington D.C. rankled many on his team and some officials in the Republican Party.
While Trump had talked about pardons for some of the rioters, the blanket dispensation - including those who used violence and attacked police officers - came as a surprise to many.
The former leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy, were both released from prison hours after Trump signed the clemency order.
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, of Granbury, Texas, was serving an 18-year prison sentence.
Enrique Tarrio, of Miami, the former Proud Boys leader, was serving a 22-year sentence.
Trump supporters, meanwhile, shrugged off his decision to pardon all those involved.
'He is who he is,' a Trump official told NBC News. 'Expectations are sometimes set as best as can be expected, and sometimes they change quickly.'
With a simple swipe of his pen, Trump released from prison his followers who were caught on camera breaking into the Capitol and fighting with police as they attempted to overthrow Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.
His pardon proclamation on day one of his second term offered 'a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.'
The federal Bureau of Prisons, by the next day, had released all of the more than 200 people in its custody for January 6 crimes, officials told The Associated Press.
Some critics pounced on Trump's decision.
More than 150 police officers were injured on the day of insurrection and many blasted Trump for issuing the blanket get-out-jail-free card to his supporters.
But the president defended his decision.
He called the prosecutions 'ridiculous and excessive.'
Trump said he issued the pardons because in many cases, 'these people have already served a long period of time, and I made a decision to give a pardon.'
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly vowed to pardon those in the Capitol that day.
But he also indicated he'd look at cases individually.
'I'm going to do case-by-case, and if they were non-violent, I think they've been greatly punished,' he told Time magazine during the campaign.
'And the answer is, I will be doing that, yeah, I'm going to look if there's some that really were out of control.'
How many of those who were out of control will turn out to be Antifa and/or paid Biden-Harris administration Justice Department instigators? If so, there will be a trail to other things for which they can be prosecuted.
#1
At least one member of Azov and other Ukrainian Speakers were in the Jan 6th crowd, I have no doubt other deep state assets were deployed as well as I saw video (Chans) of another group changing outfits into MAGA Swag inside the Capital.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
