White House steps in to stop LA fraud — it’s the – Latest News
“For years American taxpayers have been sending billions to Los Angeles. The result? Fraud and corruption. That ends today.”
So stated Scott Brady, government director of the White House Fraud Task Force, chaired by Vice President JD Vance.
Brady introduced that the federal authorities had cut off funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), whose mismanagement has been legendary, even by native requirements.
LAHSA has spent billions to resolve the downside of homelessness in LA. Almost $1 billion of its funds have come from the federal authorities since 2021.
But a court-ordered audit final yr discovered that LAHSA couldn’t account for a lot of the money it had spent, and that there was even doubt about whether or not money was going towards homeless companies in any respect.
JD Vance chairs the White House Fraud Task Force. through REUTERS
Its CEO, Va Lecia Adams Kellum, resigned earlier this yr after she was discovered to have awarded a $2.1 million contract to an group the place her husband occurred to work.
The workplace of the inspector common at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) additionally appeared into LAHSA earlier this yr, discovering that its federally funded “Continuum of Care” program “did not fully meet the goals and objectives of the program and did not always follow program requirements.” It additionally flagged practically $900,000 in “salary and rent costs” that it stated won’t have been for the program.
Fox News reported Thursday that HUD had despatched a letter to LAHSA informing it that the federal company was suspending any more funds to LAHSA till the inspector common had performed more investigations.
Critics have long been suspected that LAHSA is the middle of the “homeless-industrial complex” — a system that income off the homeless by taking public money and personal donations to resolve the downside, then failing to achieve this, and asking for more money, which the determined public duly gives.
Homeless companies organizations and activist teams additionally present employment for political activists, who help stir up public help for politicians and political causes who’re possible to keep the funds flowing.
Scott Brady, government director of the job drive stated the ‘corruption ends today’. Former US Attorneys Association
This additionally means registering homeless people to vote, and making sure their ballots discover their method in.
Sometime the fraud is uncovered. Last yr, two builders had been arrested for allegedly utilizing homeless grants to enrich themselves and keep luxurious existence.
The rot possible runs a lot, a lot deeper.
The bigger story right here is that the federal authorities is enjoying a essential function — nearly completely — in holding native authorities accountable.
State and native leaders have been incapable of rooting out the fraud. When they’ve acted — as when Attorney General Rob Bonta focused hospice fraud — it’s usually after federal authorities have achieved so first.
Sign up for the California Morning Report publication
California’s prime information, sports activities and leisure delivered to your inbox every single day.
Thanks for signing up!
California seems to be a closed political system, the place there are elections however the place the weak spot of opposition, and the casual suppression of different views, imply political change nearly by no means occurs.
A one-party state has set in, which suggests there’s nearly no accountability for failure and corruption.
It turns into not possible to assume outdoors the ruling paradigm — which is why LA County voters who complain about the price of dwelling however voted to raise their own gross sales taxes by 0.5% to pay for health companies their tax money ought to already cowl.
That is why some people have referred to as for the appointment of a “special master” to oversee any funding that comes from the federal authorities for rebuilding after the LA wildfires.
And that’s the reason the work of the White House Fraud Task Force is so important.
The excellent news is that JD Vance is on the case.
The dangerous information: there’s a lot more for them to do.
Joel Pollak is Opinion editor of the California Post.
Download The California Post App, comply with us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up right here!
California Post App: Download right here!
Home supply: Sign up right here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up right here!
