Lots of fraud going on! Covid relief funds were used for perks, bells, and whistles instead of for its intended purpose. Many of us DID know that throwing money at the situation once it became clear the lockdowns were going to continue indefinitely without any checks and balances would have consequences. We are at billions in fraud and counting, including the latest from the IRS.

IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) released investigational statistics today about COVID-related fraud investigations conducted by the agency over the past two years.

The agency investigated 660 tax and money laundering cases related to COVID fraud, with alleged fraud in these cases totaling $1.8 billion. These cases included a broad range of criminal activity, including fraudulently obtained loans, credits and payments meant for American workers, families, and small businesses.

“The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law nearly two years ago as a safety net for Americans in light of an unprecedented health crisis. Unfortunately, even during times of crisis, criminals pop their heads out to look for ways to take advantage of those in their most vulnerable state. Thanks to the investigative work of IRS-CI special agents and our law enforcement partners, we’ve ensured criminals who try to defraud CARES Act programs face consequences for their actions,” said IRS-CI Chief Jim Lee.

Those consequences include a 100% conviction rate for prosecuted cases with prison sentences averaging 42 months.

Fabulous! The IRS is On. The. Case! They’ve managed to prosecute, but not recover all that wasted money. Kudos to them! Except that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You see, there are multiple state and local government entities who took the Covid Relief Funds and ran with it. 

Thanks to a sudden $140 million cash infusion, officials in Broward County, Florida, recently broke ground on a high-end hotel that will have views of the Atlantic Ocean and an 11,000-square-foot spa.

~Snip

—tens of millions of dollars for tourism marketing campaigns in Puerto Rico ($70 million), Washington, D.C. ($8 million) and Tucson, Arizona ($2 million). The city of Alexandria, Virginia, also announced it would spend $120,000 to give its tourism website a makeover.

—$6.6 million to replace irrigation systems at two golf courses in Colorado Springs.

—$5 million approved by Birmingham, Alabama, to support the 2022 World Games. The event features niche sporting contests such as DanceSport, korfball and flying disc.

—$2.5 million to hire new parking enforcement officers in Washington, D.C.

—$2 million to help Pottawattamie County, Iowa, purchase a privately owned ski area.

—$1 million to pay off overdue child support in St. Louis. A city memo states that owing child support stops some people from looking for work because the overdue payments are garnished from paychecks; the program would “empower individuals” by paying down a portion.

Remember how I stated about that we are at billions and counting? This is why. Will any of those entities be held to account for essentially laundering money through various city/county/state fund mechanisms for those extra nice parks, stadiums, hotels, golf course irrigation systems, and more?  Nope, not one bit. In fact, I have to wonder how much in Covid Relief funds was used to bribe people to get vaccinated?

Meanwhile the Democrats and White House have been at odds for the last few weeks. The Democrats want to throw MORE money into Covid relief because REASONS and keep the spigot wide open and flowing. 

Michigan is a prime example. Debbie Dingell fought tooth and nail to keep the money flowing. 

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was the first step in meeting the needs of our communities at the onset of the pandemic. It ensured testing is 100% covered, paid sick & family leave to hardworking Americans, & prevented cuts to access in health care through Medicaid.

— Rep. Debbie Dingell (@RepDebDingell) March 18, 2022

Is she concerned about rampant fraud? Not one bit. How about Illinois? Will any of the Democrat reps, such as Tammy Duckworth, Dick Durbin, or Adam Kinzinger castigate the rampant fraud in their own state?

The owner of a lab that made hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money for running COVID-19 tests has amassed a fleet of luxury cars and at least two private planes, WGLT has learned.

Aaron Rossi of Bloomington is CEO at Reditus Labs in Pekin. Rossi was recently indicted on federal tax fraud charges and faces a lawsuit from a business partner who accuses Rossi of “pillaging” Reditus to fund a “nouveau riche over-the-top lifestyle,” court records show.

Illinois handed Rossi millions in state contracts to run the Covid testing program there. Pretty lucrative if the business is suddenly awash in nearly thirty high-end vehicles no older than 2020! Yet the Illinois Democrats will run away from the issue as fast as they can.

The WH insistence that Congress must urgently spend even more money on ‘COVID relief’, after authorizing nearly $6 trillion on that front already — much of it unrelated and unspent — is outright insulting. My comments on @FoxNewsSunday: pic.twitter.com/fTCAfB9Eyh

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) March 20, 2022

As I said, the current dollar amount doesn’t account for the relief fund corruption within our own state and local governments. I’d say it’s a fair bet that we are looking at at least $100 billion in fraud and abuse. Yet the Democrats want to keep the government spigot wide open with zero checks and balances in place. 

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