Saturday, July 01, 2017 12:20:23 AM
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Thursday, June 29, 2017
The controversial “Obamaphone” program, which pays for cellphones for the poor, is rife with fraud, according to a new government report released Thursday that found more than a third of enrollees may not even be qualified.
Known officially as the Lifeline Program, the phone giveaway became a symbol of government waste in the previous administration. Now a new report from the Government Accountability Office bears out those concerns.
The report, requested by Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, also says the program has stashed some $9 billion in assets in private bank accounts rather than with the federal treasury, further increasing risks and depriving taxpayers of the full benefit of that money.
“A complete lack of oversight is causing this program to fail the American taxpayer — everything that could go wrong is going wrong,” said Mrs. McCaskill, ranking Democrat on the Senate’s chief oversight committee and who is a former state auditor in Missouri.
“We’re currently letting phone companies cash a government check every month with little more than the honor system to hold them accountable, and that simply can’t continue,” she said.
Recent SURG News
- SurgePays Announces First Quarter 2024 Financial Results • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/13/2024 08:15:00 PM
- SurgePays Announces First Quarter 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/06/2024 08:01:00 PM
- SurgePays to Participate in Water Tower Fireside Chat Series • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 04/18/2024 08:55:37 PM
- SurgePays Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/12/2024 08:01:00 PM
- SurgePays Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Earnings Release and Conference Call • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/05/2024 09:01:00 PM
- Congressman David Kustoff Visits SurgePays Headquarters in Bartlett, Tenn. • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/27/2024 01:30:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/23/2024 10:00:33 PM
- SurgePays Taps Derron Winfrey as Vice President • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/16/2024 01:30:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/12/2024 10:25:22 PM
- Form S-8 - Securities to be offered to employees in employee benefit plans • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/05/2024 09:34:15 PM
- SurgePays Announces Strategic Partnership with SIN PIN • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/23/2024 01:30:00 PM
- SurgePays Announces Closing of $15 Million Public Offering • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/22/2024 11:00:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/22/2024 02:00:13 PM
- Form 424B5 - Prospectus [Rule 424(b)(5)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/19/2024 09:30:29 PM
- SurgePays Announces Pricing of $15 Million Public Offering • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/18/2024 01:01:00 AM
- Form 424B5 - Prospectus [Rule 424(b)(5)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/17/2024 09:05:50 PM
- SurgePays Announces Proposed Public Offering • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/17/2024 09:05:00 PM
- Form 3 - Initial statement of beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/17/2024 02:00:22 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/12/2024 09:30:25 PM
- Jeremy Gies Appointed to President of SurgePays, Inc. • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/12/2024 09:01:00 PM
- Garth Billstin Named Vice President of Sales for SurgePays • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/10/2024 01:30:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/09/2024 01:00:34 PM
- SurgePays Acquires ClearLine Mobile • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/09/2024 12:30:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/03/2024 09:55:32 PM
- SurgePays Announces Record Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 11/14/2023 09:01:00 PM
Avant Technologies Equipping AI-Managed Data Center with High Performance Computing Systems • AVAI • May 10, 2024 8:00 AM
VAYK Discloses Strategic Conversation on Potential Acquisition of $4 Million Home Service Business • VAYK • May 9, 2024 9:00 AM
Bantec's Howco Awarded $4.19 Million Dollar U.S. Department of Defense Contract • BANT • May 8, 2024 10:00 AM
Element79 Gold Corp Successfully Closes Maverick Springs Option Agreement • ELEM • May 8, 2024 9:05 AM
Kona Gold Beverages, Inc. Achieves April Revenues Exceeding $586,000 • KGKG • May 8, 2024 8:30 AM
Epazz plans to spin off Galaxy Batteries Inc. • EPAZ • May 8, 2024 7:05 AM