Fox News: Four Individuals Plead Guilty in Connection with a $550 Million USAID Fraud Scheme

EXCERPT:

EMANUEL: "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 Darryl Britt funneled payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks. It doesn’t end there. Barnes' 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 R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, saying, '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.' Cutting waste, fraud and abuse has been a big focus on Capitol Hill across government, 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."