Government Accountability Institute Vice President Eric Eggers says the Trump Administration has uncovered one of Washington’s biggest taxpayer-fraud stories — and major broadcast networks responded with zero seconds of coverage.
Appearing with Lara Trump and Tudor Dixon on The Right View, Eggers pointed to the White House Fraud Task Force’s announcement that it has uncovered nearly $230 billion in suspected fraud and stopped $56 billion in fraudulent payments from going out the door.
NewsBusters subsequently reviewed the evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC and reported that none covered the figures.
“J.D. Vance has said we’ve got 55 billion that they’ve recovered in terms of fraud, not just that one time, but then 55 on an annualized basis moving forward,” Eggers said. “I think the total is over 200 something billion dollars.”
Eggers contrasted that silence with extensive coverage of controversy surrounding renovations to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, which he said could cost roughly $16 million.
The longtime government-watchdog researcher argued that covering the fraud crackdown would also force networks to examine resistance from Democratic-led states to federal anti-fraud efforts involving Medicare and Medicaid.
“Prosecuting fraud, by the way, is another word for stopping crime,” Eggers said.
He also pointed to another economic story receiving comparatively little attention: federal data showing prescription drug prices fell 3.1% over the past year, their sharpest annual decline since 1963.
For Eggers, the contrast is the story.
The government says it has stopped tens of billions in fraudulent payments.
His question is why a number that large apparently wasn’t worth even one second on the nightly news.
Watch the clip above.
