MI Democrat Sec Of State Benson REFUSES To Testify Before Legislative Oversight Committees

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) refused to testify before legislative oversight committees Tuesday investigating allegations of fraud during the 2020 general election.

100 Percent Fed Up reports- State Rep. Matt Hall (R), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, had invited Benson to appear, but she told the committee in a letter that she will not participate.

“I am aware of the hearings the Committee has conducted, and am concerned [t]hat contrary to your desire to ‘get to the bottom’ of election questions, they are instead amplifying already debunked conspiracy theories and previously disproven claims of people who lack basic knowledge of election administration, and in doing so undermining the integrity of the election and wounding our democracy,” she said.

Benson claimed a recent hearing, which featured President Donald Trump’s attorney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was “mocked on national comedy shows” and therefore, was “a clear waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Benson called the 2020 election “settled” and said she would “look forward to having a conversation with any willing lawmakers about reforms and improvements we can make going forward for future elections.”

The Secretary of State said, for example, that clerks should have more time to process absentee ballots, and would like to see military members be able to “securely return their ballots electronically.”

“Thank you again for the invitation to meet with the Committee,” Benson concluded, “but at this time, given the concerns expressed above, I cannot in good conscience accept.”

“Secretary of State Benson said she would be willing to testify before the people’s representatives when it made a good talking point for her and got her good press. But when the rubber met the road and it came time to answer questions about her work, she refused to take questions,” Hall said in a statement.

“The electoral votes for Michigan have been submitted. But people in Michigan still have questions about their state’s elections and those questions deserve answers. I fear we are headed for more distrust in the future if people are denied clarity and transparency from officials who head up the process,” he said.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/mi-democrat-sec-state-benson-refuses-testify-legislative-oversight-committees/

Calif. Woman Obtained $500K In COVID Benefits With Help Of Darknet, YouTube Videos

LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County woman pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for fraudulently obtaining more than $500,000 in COVID-related unemployment benefits for herself.

Cara Marie Kirk-Connell, 32, of Menifee, pleaded guilty to a single-count information charging her with use of an unauthorized access device.

According to her plea agreement, from May to October 2020, Kirk-Connell knowingly used approximately 50 unauthorized access devices. Specifically, she used stolen personal identifiable information, such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers, to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in the names of other people.

Based upon Kirk-Connell’s false and fraudulent applications, she obtained from the California Employment Development Department (EDD) multiple debit cards that contained more than $500,000 in COVID-related unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled, the plea agreement states.

Kirk-Connell admitted she knew people who access the “dark web” to purchase stolen identities that she used to then file fraudulent claims with EDD. She further admitted to watching YouTube videos that instructed viewers on how to commit EDD fraud.

When Murietta police arrested Kirk-Connell on September 11 during a traffic stop, she possessed eight EDD debit cards in other people’s names and, the day before her arrest, Kirk-Connell used fraudulently obtained EDD debit cards to withdraw more than $1,000 in cash. When federal law enforcement arrested Kirk-Connell on October 9, she possessed in her purse four EDD debit cards in victims’ names, four additional debit cards in victims’ names in her car trunk, and approximately $10,000 in cash, according to the plea agreement.

EDD records showed that the cards and identities that Kirk-Connell possessed had been used to apply for and authorize approximately $534,149 in COVID-related unemployment benefits from California’s EDD program, of which nearly $270,000 had already been spent, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case.

The California EDD distributes unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, passed by Congress in March. The CARES Act expanded unemployment benefits to cover those who were previously ineligible, including business owners, self-employed workers, and independent contractors, who were put out of business or significantly reduced their services because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. has scheduled an April 9, 2021 sentencing hearing, at which time Kirk-Connell will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

This investigation, which is a result of the Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force, was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. California EDD Criminal Investigations and the Murrieta Police Department provided substantial assistance.

https://breaking911.com/calif-woman-obtained-500k-in-covid-benefits-with-help-of-darknet-youtube-videos/

Owner of Texas Chain of Hospice Companies Sentenced for $150 Million Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/owner-texas-chain-hospice-companies-sentenced-150-million-health-care-fraud-and-money