Four individuals plead guilty in connection with a $550 million USAID fraud scheme.
From Fox News:
Reporter: “Well, four people are pleading guilty, all part of a half-billion dollar bribery scandal involving USAID. Mike Emanuel has the story from Washington.”
Mike Emanuel: “Bill, good morning. The scheme involving cash, NBA tickets, and a country club wedding, according to the Justice Department. USAID official Roderick Watson sold his influence starting back in 2013. Contractors Walter Barnes and Darrell Britt funneled payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks. It doesn’t end there. Barnes’s company, working in conjunction with another firm, kept receiving federal funds—$5,000 for human resources consulting late last year—and then later, after suing the government, a contract worth up to $800 million. Matthew Arguello, head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, said, ‘Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process. Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID.'”
Reporter: “Cutting waste, fraud, and abuse has been a big focus on Capitol Hill, across government, and a major priority for House Speaker Mike Johnson. The U.S. Agency for International Development has been a target for those looking to trim government spending, with some suggesting the agency funneled taxpayer dollars into ideological projects.”