New Trump Anti-Fraud Task Force to Target California, CBS Reports
Source: USNews
WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is creating a new anti-fraud task force for California led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing multiple unnamed sources familiar with the plans.
Trump plans to sign a related executive order in coming days that will name Vance as head of the task force, which would also include the Federal Trade Commission as vice chairman, according to CBS
The reported California action follows a fraud scandal in Minnesota over the state's welfare system that has been singled out by the Trump administration.
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2026-02-04/trump-to-tap-vance-for-anti-fraud-task-force-targeting-california-cbs-reports
My gut reaction is to tell them to look in the goddamn mirror, but it is undeniably there is fraud in California, and it would be foolhardy to bury our heads in the sand. California should get ahead of this and publish the efforts they have taken to combat fraud, waste and abuse.
Report from 2022….
https://www.npr.org/2022/10/18/1128561539/pandemic-fraud-billions-california
“ SAN FRANCISCO — California is slowly clawing back some of the estimated $20 billion in unemployment money stolen by domestic and international criminals, money earmarked for jobless relief during the height of the pandemic.
It is, by far, the largest reported amount of pandemic related fraud in any state.”
“ Nationally, the total amount of unemployment insurance fraud is staggering. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General earlier this year told Congress that "at least $163 billion in pandemic UI benefits could have been paid improperly, with a significant portion attributable to fraud."
The emphasis from federal and state officials was on pushing that money out fast — $5 trillion in all to help ease the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. That speediness also meant many claims weren't verified.
In California alone, fraudsters using stolen social security numbers and stolen or made up names made off with what state officials conservatively estimate is $20 billion. That's about 11% of the $177 billion in jobless benefits paid out for COVID-19 relief.
And it wasn't hard: Someone claiming to be U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein got paid. There was a John Doe and even a Mr. Poopy Pants. They all got money.”
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