On February 7, President Biden gave the State of the Union address. In his speech, he referenced last year’s address in which he proclaimed, “The watchdogs are back!” and re-emphasized his commitment to fighting fraud, like pandemic relief and identity fraud.
“…as we emerge from this crisis stronger, I’m also doubling down on prosecuting criminals who stole relief money meant to keep workers and small businesses afloat during the pandemic,” Biden said in his address. This appears to be a continuation of his comments in his 2022 State of the Union, in which he talked about empowering watchdogs to investigate fraud related to COVID-19 relief programs.
WNN has previously reported on pandemic-related fraud and whistleblowers. Several whistleblowers have drawn attention to fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was established with the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to aid small businesses during the pandemic. Eligible businesses could apply to receive loans to keep employees on the payroll or cope with other pandemic-related hardships. In September of 2022, a milestone was passed with the first settlement related to a qui tam False Claims Act case that centered around PPP fraud.
In his 2023 State of the Union address, Biden said: “Before I came to office many inspector generals who protect taxpayer dollars were sidelined. Fraud was rampant.” He mentioned his previous claims, stating, “Last year, I told you the...
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