Thread: Pennsylvania Caught Handing Out Food Stamps, Welfare to Ineligible Immigrants

Pennsylvania Caught Handing Out Food Stamps, Welfare to Ineligible Immigrants

Jan. 16, 2015 3:00pm Pete Kasperowicz

The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has agreed to pay a $48.8 million settlement after claims that it improperly handed out food stamp and welfare benefits to ineligible immigrants for several years, using federal funds.

The Department of Justice claimed that Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) incorrectly used federal funds from 2004 to 2010 to dispense Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as food stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits, also known as welfare.

The Department of Justice says Pennsylvania may have been a little too welcoming to non-citizens, by handing out food stamp and welfare benefits to ineligible people.
Image: Shutterstock

The settlement agreement amounts to a deal that will require Pennsylvania to at least partially pay back the federal government for using federal funds improperly.

DOJ said the settlement agreement should not be seen as an admission of liability. But the agreement to pay back the government, in addition to DOJ’s comments on the case, made it clear that Pennsylvania had been paying out benefits to the wrong people.

“The staff of the civil division in our office has worked closely and diligently with our sister federal agencies, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Governor’s office to make needed corrections to the operation of programs that are vital to low income families,” said Peter Smith, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “At the same time, after lengthy negotiations, a fair and reasonable settlement has been achieved in the best interest of Pennsylvania tax payers.”

DOJ noted that under the welfare reform law of 1996, only documented, low-income aliens who have been in the country for five years can get Medicaid, welfare or food stamp benefits.

In addition, the eligibility of these aliens must be verified.

“The United States alleged that, between 2004 and 2010, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided Medicaid, TANF and SNAP benefits to ineligible aliens in violation of these restrictions,” DOJ said.

An official at the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service added that USDA would “continue to work with Pennsylvania to ensure that the SNAP program is administered appropriately to benefit only those who are eligible.”

Pennsylvania will pay the settlement fee over five years, in quarterly payments of $2.4 million of non-federal funds. The structure of the agreement indicates that Pennsylvania is not being charged interest over the five-year period.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015...le-immigrants/

".....settlement has been achieved in the best interest of Pennsylvania taxpayers." That makes me nervous, why should I from TX share in the costs of this? I would have recommended and insisted upon full repayment and a punitive fine of triple that to be sure that Pennsylvanians stop electing less than adequate politicians! Then no interest on a five year loan? Good business would have been "90 days same as cash." Federal taxpayers must stop bearing the costs of states inappropriate management!!!

Texas: FBI is investigating 21CT Medicaid fraud deal

3:24 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015

The FBI is investigating the multimillion-dollar, no-bid deals brokered between Austin tech company 21CT and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, according to two people close to the investigation and a state legislator.

“I’ve been told that the FBI is investigating,” state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, told the American-Statesman.

Coleman cited a trusted source, but declined to reveal his source. Independently, the newspaper on Wednesday confirmed FBI involvement with two people close to the investigation who are not authorized to speak on the matter.

Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Kyle Janek

The scope of the federal inquiry is unclear. An FBI spokeswoman declined comment Tuesday, citing the bureau’s policy that it can “neither confirm or deny an investigation.”

Mike Rosen, a spokesman for 21CT, told the Statesman Tuesday: “We understand there are a number of ongoing investigations and audits of HHSC by state and federal entities. If called upon, 21CT is pleased to share information about our compliance with state contracting and procurement processes, our anti-fraud work, or any other matters of importance to the government and to taxpayers.”

The FBI is just one of several entities now looking into the company’s initial $20 million contract with the commission’s Office of Inspector General to assist in Medicaid investigations.

A criminal investigation by the Travis County district attorney’s Public Integrity Unit was launched last month, along with an inquiry by the State Auditor’s Office.

A $90 million contract extension with the Austin tech company was canceled last month following an American-Statesman investigation. The commission’s Office of Inspector General contracted with 21CT to aid in Medicaid fraud investigations.

Earlier Wednesday, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott announced he will deploy an independent “strike force” to delve into the state’s beleaguered health agency.

“In the wake of recent revelations at the Health and Human Services Commission, my transition team has taken steps to ensure there is a full and thorough outside review of management, operations, and contracting at the agency,” Abbott said Wednesday in a news release.

Abbot said he is calling on Billy Hamilton, the former deputy comptroller, to lead an independent review of the Health and Human Services Commission.

Kyle Janek, the executive commissioner of that agency, said he welcomes yet another look into how his agency has handled big contracts.

“I’m grateful for Gov.-elect Abbott’s help and support as we work to improve contracting and agency operations,” said Commissioner Dr. Kyle Janek. “Billy Hamilton is a legend in state government, and I look forward to working with him.”

Also Wednesday, members of a legislative panel reiterated their criticism of the agency.

“I believe the serious nature of these reports requires a stronger response,” said state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound.

Nelson, the chairwoman of the Sunset Advisory Commission, is among a growing chorus of legislators who are calling for stricter rules for how major contracts are awarded and for more oversight of those awards.

But agency spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said Janek’s role in the 21CT project was limited to supporting the project and asking for money from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Janek said last month he approved $110 million in work — most of which was to be federal matching funds — after he was misled by Stick and the Office of Inspector General.

“Dr. Janek’s only involvement was to support the request to fund the system based on repeated assurances from OIG about how well the technology worked and the appropriateness of the procurement,” Goodman said Wednseday. “He now has serious concerns about the information he was given.”

Janek also announced Wednesday that he’s assembling his own team to “help strengthen oversight and monitoring contracts.”

That team includes Ron Pigott, a former procurement director at the Texas Comptroller’s Office; John Scott, the former deputy attorney general in charge of civil litigation; and Matthew Chaplin, assistant general counsel at the Texas General Land Office.

“This is a team of all stars,” Janek said in a statement. “John is one of the smartest and most respected people in state government. Ron literally wrote the book on state contracting, and Matt earned a reputation for strong, no-nonsense contract standards at the General Land Office.”

Janek also is hiring Cecile Young as a senior advisor. Young has worked for three governors, in the Attorney General’s Office and as associate commissioner at the Health and Human Services Commission from 2007 to 2011.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/s...caid-fr/njnxd/

Philadelphia is the land that time forgot.

Earlier this year several plain clothes cops were indicted for extorting the profits of drug dealers. One of these armed thugs leaned a dealer over the 18th floor balcony of the dealer's apartment building, to persuade him to turn over his profits.

A business newspaper did a front page article about new arrivals to Philly, including Asians, participating in a fundraiser. The caption of the accompanying photograph identified three of the Asians as Chinky Winky, Dinky Do, and Me Too. (That last probably because they all look alike.) When a wire service reporter called the paper, the publisher told him that it was just a copyediting error, and that nobody cared!

I happened to be researching Philly, to help a young friend who was thinking of going to school there. Yikes.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

And wait until someone in the news or law enforcement starts investigating politicians for their "profit-taking" in illegal immigration. Just ask yourselves, media and law enforcement, why would any representative or elected official of the American People support illegal aliens knowing full well the toll it takes on US citizens, the price US citizen workers incur in lost jobs and deflated wages, and the cost it creates for federal, state and local governments? There's no way a representative or elected official would support any of this unless they were on the take with the entities behind it including specifically the drug and other illegal business enterprises who want and need an open border for a free-flow of their products in and the money out, and millions of illegal aliens to run their businesses here as a "protected" class of untouchables.

Get busy and expose these rats so we can get them out of their high-flying positions and offices.

Thank you.

Maybe I missed it, but I saw absolutely no mention of anyone going to jail over this. Theft is theft, regardless of who is doing it and for what reason! Come on folks, this is millions of hard earned taxpayer money that was stolen to help support those here illegally. These people knew what they were doing was against the law but flipped the federal government the middle finger and done it anyway. Anyone that was knowingly complicit in this crime should go to prison.

Originally Posted by Judy

Just ask yourselves, media and law enforcement, why would any representative or elected official of the American People support illegal aliens knowing full well the toll it takes on US citizens, the price US citizen workers incur in lost jobs and deflated wages, and the cost it creates for federal, state and local governments?

The problem is that the media flood the American people with sob stories about better jobs for hard working illegals and family unification. The effect on Americans is simply not mentioned. This all the more galling when 'Bama, himself, wrote that high immigration would harm blue collar families.

I don't know if its a concentration of ownership, or just a refusal of the media to criticize a black president, but the media are not doing their job of providing balanced information to the American people.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Originally Posted by vistalad

The problem is that the media flood the American people with sob stories about better jobs for hard working illegals and family unification. The effect on Americans is simply not mentioned. This all the more galling when 'Bama, himself, wrote that high immigration would harm blue collar families.

I don't know if its a concentration of ownership, or just a refusal of the media to criticize a black president, but the media are not doing their job of providing balanced information to the American people.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

I don't think it's a refusal of the media to criticize a black president, because they haven't gotten the true story out about the adverse impact of illegal immigration when we had white Presidents.

There is no rationale for this behavior by the media, except the entities behind illegal immigration have public relations experts planting the articles through all these ridiculous 501 C 3 race-based organizations like National Council of La Raza, MALDEF and so forth. There are hundreds maybe thousands of these organizations operating as tax-exempt "charity" organizations. Then add in the churches and it's a huge pro-immigration lobby funded with tax-exempt income.

J, I'm afraid that you're right.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

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