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Fraudsters abused Biden’s lax policies to steal billions, financial watchdog claims

Fraudsters abused Biden’s lax policies to steal billions, financial watchdog claims

As pervasive fraud schemes continue to sweep across the U.S., a group that seeks to preserve economic freedoms at the state level says that former President Joe Biden‘s policies were a main driver for the proliferation of the issue. OJ Oleka, CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, said “relaxed controls” during the last administration opened the door to widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars. And state treasurers are now leading the fight to strengthen oversight and reclaim funds for the American people. “This isn’t a partisan statement, but it is a true statement to say that this kind of exploded during the Biden administration,” Oleka told Fox News Digital. “A lot of the controls were turned off. A lot of states who have the philosophy that ‘more government is good’ just simply turned on the spigots and allowed anybody to get access to any benefit.” Speaking from SFOF’s annual conference in Clearwater, Florida, Oleka said fraud has become so deeply embedded in government programs that it’s now “a feature in the system, not a bug.” BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO RECOUP $200B IN FRAUDULENT COVID LOANS, HOUSE COMMITTEE SAYS SFOF’s first-ever Oversight Report for 2025 found that affiliated state financial officers protected and returned $28 billion to taxpayers last year, uncovering $5.7 billion in waste, fraud and abuse. They, meanwhile, generated or returned another $22.3 billion through investment earnings and unclaimed property programs. “We say that fraud actually has an industry in this country,” Oleka said. “What we’re trying to do is root out the fraud industrial complex that exists within our government programs. That’s the biggest challenge.” He pointed to weak eligibility requirements during Biden’s time in office — and sometimes no requirements at all — exploding the instances of fraud. “Then practically anybody can have access to the benefits — people who don’t need them, people who don’t deserve them, people who aren’t even eligible for them,” he lamented. President Donald Trump this year tapped Vice President JD Vance to lead a nationwide “War on Fraud.” It stemmed from the highly scrutinized Minnesota “Feeding Our Future” scheme, which allegedly defrauded the government out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Oleka praised the Trump administration’s anti-fraud efforts, and in a February letter to the White House told Vance that SFOF members are “allies already on the battlefield” ready to help protect taxpayer dollars. “The beauty of what’s happening now is you’ve got the Vice President and the task force and our state financial officers rooting to get this stuff out,” he said. “That’s the goal: you get it out root and branch, you stop it from being in the system, and you make a benefit system that actually works again for the American people.” But, he said, future administrations need to continue the crack-down if Americans want to see lasting change. COMER TO SAY TIM WALZ ‘ENABLED FRAUD,’ FAILED WHISTLEBLOWERS IN BOMBSHELL MINNESOTA HEARING The SFOF is also working directly with members of Congress, including House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and state officials to ensure fraud is addressed beyond the Trump administration, according to Oleka. He also would like to see some of the changes cemented through executive order. “You’ve got a system that is allowing you to do the things that you’re doing, but it’s clearly unethical, it’s clearly wrong, and you saw a lot of this actually take off during the Biden-era,” Oleka said. Massive fraud was recently exposed in California, Maine and Ohio, where he said Democratic leaders failed to act because they “don’t have the political will to stop the fraud.” A multi-million dollar hospice fraud scheme in California was uncovered, while a Maine health services company was accused by a whistleblower of misusing millions in Medicaid funds in December. In Columbus, Ohio, hundreds of home health companies that shared the same addresses and operated out of vacant or poorly maintained properties were found to have billed the federal government more than $250 million in Medicaid spending. HOUSE GOP LAUNCHES NEW TASK FORCE, PROBES ALLEGED $250B MEDICAID FRAUD IN OHIO “We’ve seen it in Minnesota, we’ve seen it in California, Maine and Ohio, all across the country,” Oleka said. “But what you also see are state financial officers who are standing up for the American people. What you also see is Chairman Comer standing up for the American people. You also see the Vice President and the task force and the President of the United States standing up for the American people.” He insisted that taxpayers should not be on the hook to foot the bill for fraud. “The American people do not benefit when there is a system that’s giving out their money to people who don’t deserve it and who don’t need it,” he said. Oleka argued that the push to end fraud goes hand-in-hand with lowering costs for Americans. “Our folks not only talked about fraud, but also about how they can help lead the fight to make things more affordable for the American people,” he said. “As a result, the tone of the conference was hopeful.” Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment.

Gas prices threaten Memorial Day road trips as pump costs hit historic highs

Gas prices threaten Memorial Day road trips as pump costs hit historic highs

Americans traveling this Memorial Day weekend will face some of the highest gas prices in history. Despite the soaring costs due to the ongoing conflict in Iran causing shipping bottlenecks and blockades, AAA expects more than 39 million people to hit the roads over the holiday weekend. Meanwhile, the White House has attempted to build rapport with Americans ahead of the 2026 midterms by rolling out a series of extraordinary measures aimed at easing pain at the pump amid an economic squeeze causing rising prices and stubborn inflation. GAS SURGE TIED TO IRAN CONFLICT HITS SWING STATES, TESTING TRUMP’S LOW-PRICE PITCH The fuel cost surge persists amid renewed turmoil in global energy markets as escalating tensions in Iran have disrupted oil supplies and driven crude prices higher after the war broke out in late February. National gas prices are now hovering near record territory, eclipsing levels seen during previous summer travel seasons and raising fears of even higher costs ahead. President Donald Trump has released record amounts of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a way to ease prices and has called for a federal gas tax holiday. His administration also temporarily waived a century-old shipping law known as the Jones Act to move fuel more quickly between U.S. ports. Despite those efforts, drivers across the country are continuing to see sharp increases at the pump. West Coast drivers are facing the steepest costs, with gas hitting $6.14 per gallon in California and $5.70 in Washington state, according to data compiled by AAA. BBQ LOVERS BEWARE: MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT MIGHT DISRUPT YOUR SUMMER PLANS THIS YEAR On the East Coast, prices have climbed above $4.50 in several areas, including $4.67 in Washington, D.C., and $4.62 in Pennsylvania. In the Midwest, Illinois stands out at $5.01 per gallon, while much of the region remains in the mid-$4 range. Southern states continue to see comparatively lower costs, though prices are climbing there as well, reaching $4.03 in Georgia, $4.09 in Texas and $4.51 in Florida. Mississippi currently has the nation’s cheapest gas at $4.01 per gallon. Beyond gasoline, other fuel costs are rising even faster. Diesel has climbed to $5.65, up about $2.10 over the past year. As a key fuel for freight, shipping and public transportation, it is especially sensitive to supply disruptions and its rising cost can quickly ripple through the broader economy, pushing up prices on everything from groceries to goods. The surge underscores the broader economic risks tied to the standoff, as uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz continues to rattle energy markets. With midterm elections looming, rising gas prices are once again becoming a major political vulnerability as frustrated Americans watch the cost of filling up climb higher.

Platner’s brutal attacks on Army soldiers as ‘fat, lazy’ revealed in resurfaced posts

Platner’s brutal attacks on Army soldiers as ‘fat, lazy’ revealed in resurfaced posts

Graham Platner, the Democrat’s presumptive nominee for Senate in Maine, described the United States Army as “absolute trash” and “full of fat, lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform” in posts on his now-deleted Reddit account. “I spent another 4 in the Army after the Corps, and while I was very lucky to serve in some sh–t hot units with good dudes, as a whole the organization is absolute trash,” Platner wrote in April 2019. “I am not one to totally bad mouth the Army. It does have some squared away fighting units and good guys, as well as some better doctrine here and there. But it is absolutely lacking in the warrior ethos and leadership obsession that the Corps has, and generally attracts a lower standard of person.” The resurfaced posts include a separate 2019 comment about wounded Army veteran Teddy Daniels, who was shot by the Taliban and later awarded the Purple Heart. In that post, Platner criticized Daniels’ battlefield tactics and wrote that the “dumb motherf—er didn’t deserve to live.” Platner’s comments about Daniels and other now-deleted Reddit posts — including posts in which he used slurs, demeaned white rural Americans and identified as a Marxist — have become a major campaign issue in the Maine Senate race, where he seeks to unseat GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins. VETERAN WHO SERVED IN MIDDLE EASTERN WARS LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST SEN. SUSAN COLLINS Platner served in the Marine Corps and the Maryland Army National Guard, where he completed multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not uncommon for members of one branch of the armed forces to be harshly critical of other branches.   “The Army does things differently, and as a whole, they do things much worse,” Platner wrote in March 2019. “As an organization it’s awful. Full of fat, lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform.” Platner wasn’t exclusively negative, as he praised the Army for having “some solid light infantry, reconnaissance, and SOF units that are s— hot, as well as access to some great schools.” He was also open about the necessity of internal criticism within the armed forces. “Civilians can be as dumb f–k ret—ed as they want, but WE have a duty to be brutally honest,” Platner wrote in 2013. “I want civilians to think our ability to fight is unmatched, but I also want us to be brutal in our internal criticism.” DELETED POSTS URGING VIOLENCE HAUNT DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE RACE The Washington Free Beacon first reported on Platner’s disparaging comments directed towards the Army. The posts were made under the Reddit account “P-Hustle,” which Platner has previously acknowledged as his. “I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am,” Platner said of his resurfaced Reddit posts back in October. “I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet. I would prefer if people could judge me on the person I am today.” In 2019, Platner reacted to a video of an American soldier being shot by the Taliban by stating that the “dumb motherf—er didn’t deserve to live.” Platner’s post criticized the soldier, who was later awarded the Purple Heart, for utilizing poor tactics. The Senate hopeful’s commentary has attracted criticism from some other veterans. DEM PRIMARY TURNS UGLY: MILLS UNLEASHES BRUTAL ATTACK ON SANDERS-BACKED PLATNER IN CRUCIAL SENATE SHOWDOWN “We don’t make jokes about our brothers and sisters dying, that’s not something we do, that’s not normal,” Adam Schwarze, a former Navy SEAL and Marine veteran running for Senate as a Republican in Minnesota, said of Platner. MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON ‘TERRIBLE’ POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT Platner attributes his behavior to psychological trauma he developed from being deployed to the Middle East, as well as the “crude humor” he had gotten used to while in the Marines. The Senate hopeful’s controversial statements about the military haven’t been confined to Reddit. During a 2024 podcast interview, Platner implied that deceased Navy SEAL Chris Kyle killed civilians to inflate his numbers. “[Kyle’s] stories about how many people he was shooting certainly tracked with the behavior I witnessed,” Platner said. “It’s relatively easy to get high numbers like that if you’re a little less discriminating in your fire than, say, a more professional unit would be.” He also accused Navy SEALs of being generally incompetent on his Reddit account, though he had kind words for the Army Rangers.  “Graham Platner’s vicious attacks on wounded service members and open contempt for the Army are disgusting and disqualifying,” National Republican Senatorial Committee press secretary Bernadette Breslin told Fox News Digital. “The more we learn about him, the more his top Democrat allies like Elizabeth Warren are forced to dodge questions on why they ever supported him in the first place.” The Platner campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

Havana regime in suspense after Castro indictment with Trump pressure on, says Cuban-born GOP Rep.

Havana regime in suspense after Castro indictment with Trump pressure on, says Cuban-born GOP Rep.

Cuban despot Raul Castro’s federal indictment is likely sparking paranoia inside the regime as officials look at what has happened to other despots this year, the one member of Congress who personally experienced the dictatorship’s terror told Fox News Digital. Though no longer Cuba’s formal leader since Miguel Diaz-Canel took over in 2021, Raul Castro still holds a tighter grip on the levers of power in Havana than the island’s established government, House Homeland Security Committee member Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said. Gimenez said the indictment, while long overdue, could bring some measure of justice to the families of Americans killed in the 1996 downing of two humanitarian aircraft in the Strait of Florida. Gimenez said Castro intentionally targeted a group that searched the sea almost daily for Cuban refugees attempting the 90-mile trip to the congressional district he now represents, spanning South Dade to the Keys. OBAMA’S BASEBALL OUTING WITH CASTRO REIGNITES FURY AFTER TRUMP DOJ DROPS HAMMER ON CUBAN LEADER “We have him on tape saying [he did it],” Gimenez said of Castro — indicted on Cuban Independence Day. “We cannot tolerate any regime murdering American citizens wherever they may be.” Asked whether Cuba may see a mission similar to the one in Venezuela, where U.S. forces extracted an indicted dictator, Gimenez said every situation is different even if the actors are ideologically and criminally similar. “I think that the president’s going to let this kind of percolate for a while and also continue the pressure on the regime that we’ve been exerting,” he said, agreeing with fellow Miamian Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the Castro/Diaz-Canel regime is collapsing under its own failure. The suspense — coming amid additional arrests of regime allies stateside and Castro’s charges Wednesday — is proverbially killing the Cuban government, he said. “The island goes dark for hours and so I think [President Donald Trump’s] going to let it percolate for a while. I’m sure that he is drawing up plans for every contingency. He now has the legal authority to come in and try to arrest him, but I don’t think he is going to do that right away.” Unlike Venezuela or Iran, America has a home base in Cuba — Guantanamo Bay. But Gimenez — who recently visited the compound, and therefore his homeland, for the first time in more than 60 years since fleeing at age 6 — said the geopolitics are such that Gitmo is helpful but not the end-all. CUBAN OFFICIAL REVEALS MILITARY ‘PREPARING’ FOR CONFLICT AFTER TRUMP CONSIDERS ‘TAKING’ ISLAND Guantanamo lies on the opposite side of Cuba from Havana, so U.S. assets would need to be positioned closer in the event of any incursion. “Just in case,” he said. “If something were to happen and the people rise up – so that Raul Castro doesn’t sleep very well at night; not knowing if our helicopters are coming for him.” He said the best idea at present is creating an environment of constant psychological pressure for the regime — so that they are “looking out and [not] inward as much – thinking that somehow, Uncle Sam is just outside there, floating in the water with a big aircraft carrier.” Gimenez said the U.S. government appears “actually serious this time – the first time any administration is taking the kind of action against one of the Castros.” In prior comments, Gimenez referenced an Orange Bowl event attended by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright shortly after the murders, where the Clinton administration promised a response. Therefore, protesters risking their lives in the streets may feel real change is afoot, Gimenez said, and that unlike in past administrations, the feds will “have their back.” RUBIO SAYS CUBA NEEDS ‘NEW PEOPLE IN CHARGE’ AS BLACKOUTS, UNREST GRIP ISLAND “[The regime doesn’t] wholesale kill thousands of people [like Iran] but they do put thousands of people in prison; torture them … Let’s see what’s going to happen inside the island with the Cuban people themselves.” The administration also has a vocal Havana hawk in Rubio, the son of Cuban emigres. Shortly after the interview, the feds in Miami detained the head of GAESA, Cuba’s public-private military-led entity that Gimenez said is the true lever of power in Havana. DHS then revoked Adys Lastres-Morera’s green card. Diaz-Canel is a figurehead, Gimenez said, noting Castro leads GAESA and therefore is the end-all. Gimenez quipped that his Miami colleague Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart made the point that “presidents” of Cuba essentially mean nothing – when he asked another interviewer if they had heard of a past president not named Castro. Diaz-Balart also noted that his brother, former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., wrote to the Clinton administration in 1996 demanding action, but none came. POST-MADURO, PRESSURE BUILDS ON MEXICO OVER CUBA’S NEW OIL LIFELINE “So, in the case of GAESA, it is run by military officers under the control of [the] Castros [and] controls 70% of Cuba’s economy… It shows you that there is a government inside a government,” Gimenez said. He argued the estimated $16 billion held by GAESA self-enriches the regime while ordinary Cubans face economic collapse and private industry fails. In a Spanish-language statement, Rubio noted GAESA is the reason the island has been “plundered” by its government – not from any alleged U.S. oil blockade. As Gimenez and Rubio spoke, congressional support for the indictment was already building. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News military intervention in Havana should never be off the table. “Raul Castro – he’s killed Americans, and I’m so glad he’s indicted,” Scott said, adding that a 16-year-old was recently imprisoned for complaining his family lost electricity — agreeing an uprising may be in the offing. Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., who represents the U.S.-Cuban diaspora in Calle Ocho, said her community waited 65 years and 10 U.S. presidents to express this “message to the Castros.” “It’s time for you guys to go.” Now, with Castro’s indictment and the predictions of Gimenez, Diaz-Balart and others, Cuban Independence Day

WATCH: House Dems unload on Texas Democrat over ‘demented’ antisemitic comments

WATCH: House Dems unload on Texas Democrat over ‘demented’ antisemitic comments

House Democrats publicly distanced themselves from Texas congressional candidate Maureen Galindo for her recent remarks calling for ICE detention centers to be turned into prisons for “American Zionists.”  “Maureen Galindo is a moral disgrace who has no business running for, let alone holding, elected office,” Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. “So she should withdraw from the race out of shame.” “That kind of rhetoric has no place in our politics and we should not accept that kind of antisemitism here in the House of Representatives,” Rep. John Olszewski, D-Md., said. “There’s no world in which I can support a candidate like that.“ “She must be crazy — something wrong with her,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. said. “That’s demented.” MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS The backlash comes after Galindo posted to her social media pledging to turn ICE detention centers into a “prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers,” which drew accusations of antisemitism from both parties. In the same Instagram post, she also said the prison will be used as a castration center for pedophiles, “which will probably be most of the Zionists.” Some House Democrats told Fox News Digital it was the first time they were hearing of Galindo’s controversy, or dodged giving their take on the matter. “I’m sorry, I’m late for committee,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said. “This is the first I’m hearing about it, but I think anyone saying that is problematic,” Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., said. “I have no idea about Texas,” Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said.   Top Democrats have also accused Republicans of helping elevate Galindo’s candidacy in Texas’ 35th Congressional District. The seat is currently held by a Democrat, with Republicans hoping to pick up the seat in the November midterms. ARIZONA DEM TEARS INTO HER OWN PARTY OVER TREND THAT SHE DEEMS ANTISEMITIC: ‘SICK AND TIRED’ The attempt to shift the blame to Republicans comes after accusations have circulated that super PAC “Lead Left,” which has spent roughly $900,000 promoting Galindo, has ties to the Republican Party.  No public proof has emerged showing Republican control of the PAC. Still, leading House Democrats were quick to call out the GOP for any potential ties. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement that “MAGA extremists should be ashamed of themselves.” “This is disgusting, and it absolutely has to be condemned — these comments,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said. “I think what also needs to be condemned is Republicans putting a million dollars behind her. Why do Republicans want her to win?” Galindo also said in the post that when elected into Congress, she will work to pass legislation that all Zionism and support of Zionism will be considered antisemitic. She herself has denied allegations of being antisemitic, but says she is opposed to “Zionist Jews.” “I think it’s very clear that we all have to take a stand against antisemitism,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said when asked about Galindo’s comments. Since the firestorm that has come from these posts, Galindo has since posted a video to Facebook addressing the antisemitic accusations, claiming she never called for Jewish people to be imprisoned but that she wants to “put billionaire American Zionists who are funding the genocidal prison systems involved in trafficking into prison.” MAMDANI’S RISE, ‘VILE HATRED’ OF US JEWS THE FOCUS OF ‘CRITICAL’ CLOSED-DOOR CONGRESSIONAL HUDDLE “I’m against all internment camps and would like to see them all shut down ASAP, starting with the many in South Texas,” Galindo said, referring to ICE detention centers. Galindo will go face-to-face against congressional candidate Johnny Garcia on Tuesday in the Texas Democratic primary.  “She won’t make it here,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said when asked if he would pursue moving to expel her from Congress if elected. “I’m confident that the people in that district, much of which I represented for a decade, will stand with Johnny.