Our Tax Dollars Paid Thousands Of Government Staff COVID Unemployment Benefits While They Worked From Home

Millions of Americans were left jobless during the devastating lockdowns imposed by the government. However, federal employees benefited from the taxpayer-funded pandemic unemployment fund. While working mostly from home.

Despite staying on taxpayers’ payroll during the height of the pandemic panic, greedy bureaucrats in the Internal Revenue Service, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Postal Service, Amtrak?, and The Secret Service Taxpayers were conned out of millions of dollars more by Covid’s unemployment fund and wage assistance programs.

The Department of Homeland Security provided lost wage assistance for nearly 2,000 eligible employees. 2022 DHSIG report discovered.

Many thanks to Lax and rushed Standards, “claimants only needed to self-certify they met eligibility requirements when they filed for [pandemic unemployment assistance] benefits,” More than $8.8 million In taxpayer funds, 638 DHS employees were illegally funneled into the account. FEMA’s state workforce agencies also paid out $1.2 million in “lost wages assistance” To 935 DHS employees who were “fully employed.” During the approval period, at least 366 DHS officials who were not eligible were actually paid overtime Additional to regular unemployment benefits, you could be eligible for up to hundreds per week..

Federal authorities have illegally grifted “fraudsters” Attracted the attention of Republican Senator Joni Ernst and her January “make ‘em squeal” AwardA monthly subscription is available. Effort Ernst led the investigation into government corruption. “make Washington more competent and less wasteful.”

“Thousands of active federal employees may have falsely claimed that they lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, in order to be paid twice by taxpayers: Once for being employed and then again for pretending to be unemployed,” Ernst explained her explanation in her announcement for the squeal prize.

The Department of Justice Already charged Several federal employees working in fraud-prone agencies are among them. However, the prolific behavior could be more tax-paying for public staff who come under the watchful eye of Inspector General Michael Horowitz (who Ernst Recently, urged To “identify how many federal employees applied for and received pandemic unemployment and lost wages assistance for which they were not eligible.”

She also urged the chief IG of the Investigations Group to retrieve the funds and fire the people responsible. “who abused the public trust.”

“It is appalling for anyone fortunate enough to have the reliability of a government paycheck to take advantage of financial assistance intended to provide a lifeline to Americans who lost their jobs or were unable to work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ernst wrote.

Sen. Joni Ernst Letter To I… By Federalist

The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee has already been created. This oversight committee is part of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity & Efficiency. determined That “tens of thousands” Many federal employees applied for Small Business Administration loans, and were granted them even though they were government-employed.

Ernst, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, noted in her letter that the PRAC’s investigation into loans is ongoing and could yield even more deception and taxpayer money wasted by government workers.

Federal employees weren’t the only ones who wrongfully raked in millions of pandemic dollars. Many state and local staff were involved in the fraud. Georgia, Indiana?, and Louisiana Also, defrauded taxpayers.

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer for The Federalist. She also co-produces The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work was also featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and other publications. Jordan graduated from Baylor University, where she studied journalism and political science. Follow Jordanboydtx on twitter.

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