Posted 4/9/2024, 5:21:10 PM
Senate Democrats Propose $1.3B Bill to Crack Down on Pandemic Relief Fraud
- Senate Democrats unveiled $1.3 billion bill to expand government powers to prosecute pandemic fraud and recover stolen aid funds
- Comes as Justice Dept. announced charges against 3,500+ defendants and seizure of $1.4 billion in stolen pandemic relief funds
- Allocates $675M to guard programs against identity theft, $550M to Justice Dept. and inspectors general for oversight
- Gives law enforcement more time to investigate fraud targeting pandemic relief programs
- Follows years of rampant fraud during Trump admin, with billions stolen from unemployment insurance and small business loan programs