Patterico's Pontifications

4/12/2011

Republican Chuck Grassley is Pigford Fraud Enabler #1

Filed under: General — Stranahan @ 5:10 pm



[Guest post by Lee Stranahan]

I contacted the office of Republican Senator Chuck Grassley today about his support for John Boyd. Here’s the response I got from Grassley’s press secretary, Beth Levine.

Senator Grassley’s support for Pigford II isn’t about John Boyd, it’s about the thousands of black farmers who were unable to have their cases heard before a neutral arbiter.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the courts and the Congress have all said that these farmers deserve to have their cases heard based on the merits.  Pigford II simply enables the farmers, or those who attempted to farm, to plead their case in front of a neutral party and be judged on the merits.   The law was also specifically written with extra protections to help ensure that fraud is kept out of the program.  Those changes have been made to the settlement agreement that will enhance the Department’s ability to fight fraud including requiring adjudicators to be a truly neutral party; allowing that neutral adjudicator to ask the claimant for additional documentation if he or she suspects any fraud; requiring the claimants’ attorneys to certify that there is evidentiary support for the claims; and requiring the Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the Department’s internal controls and audit the process in adjudicating the claims. (emphasis mine.)

This is all standard runaround that Pigford II somehow has higher standards – and it’s not true. A person who is willing commit perjury – as they are being trained to do in meetings across the country – can still file a claim and easily collect a $50,000 check because the system is so simple to game.

I’m willing to fly out to Washington and go over all of this with Senator Grassley and I’ll bring whistleblowers like Jimmy Dismuke and Eddie Slaughter with me. This stuff is not difficult to prove…if Senator Grassley will only listen.

But that’s not the point.

I wasn’t asking about Senator Grassley’s support for Pigford II. I was asking about his support for Boyd. And despite her claim that “Senator Grassley’s support for Pigford II isn’t about John Boyd” – look at what Grassley said about John Boyd from Grassley’s own website…

I also want to thank John Boyd, President of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), for his help in getting us where we are today.  Without his dedication to this issue, I don’t think we’d be passing this legislation today. My hope is that the Department will work with groups like NBFA to conduct outreach to the black community and claimants.  No one wants to see fraud in the administration of these claims and stakeholder groups such as John’s can be a valuable resource to getting that message out.

I pointed this out to Ms. Levine – here was her response.

John Boyd and several other people were very good advocates for the black farmers.

Official response from Grassley’s office – John Boyd is a very good advocate for black farmers. Read my recent posts and decide if that’s true.

– Lee Stranahn

30 Responses to “Republican Chuck Grassley is Pigford Fraud Enabler #1”

  1. Breitbart must be really freaking out about his lawsuit.

    He’s even got you dumbasses trying to cover for him.

    It is a real pleasure to watch. I hope it costs Breitbarts backers a mountain of dough to defend and then he loses.

    jharp (f8a6a3)

  2. Wow — you’re ignoring everything for that? Wow.

    Lee Stranahan (708cc3)

  3. Does this geriatric douchewhore really think he does the poor blighters stuck in Iowa any favors when he takes their tax monies and squanders it playing Santa Claus to a bunch of con artists?

    Really?

    Cause I don’t think creepy old senile american gothic Chuck has thought this through.

    happyfeet (a55ba0)

  4. If they are committing perjury, can’t they be prosecuted? Why not pursue that angle?

    Amphipolis (e01538)

  5. I hope when jharp’s mother sues him for stupidity he loses and has to pay up.

    DohBiden (984d23)

  6. I hope when jharp’s mother sues him for stupidity he loses and has to pay up.

    Comment by DohBiden — 4/12/2011 @ 7:00 pm

    Maybe we can follow both lawsuits at the same time and share our glee together.

    I doubt it though. The Breitbart one is real and the one you mention is complete fiction.

    Damn you’re dumb.

    jharp (f8a6a3)

  7. This unfortunately illustrates why you’re wasting your time. When even people with ‘R’s next to their name dig in to defend the program (for who knows what reason), just how do you think you’re ever going to reach the critical mass needed to effect change? You may be right, but nobody who has the power to do anything about this is listening to you.

    steve (254463)

  8. Notice how jharp calls anyone dumb who disagrees with him but yet his democrap boyfriends demand the right be civil.

    DohBiden (984d23)

  9. How many times is jharpy going to sing that same song, and get banned?

    JD (318f81)

  10. What’s Harpo babbling about?

    I’m usually pretty good at deciphering imbecilese, but I ain’t getting this one.

    Dave Surls (7f8e4e)

  11. Harpo is blabbing on about nothing.

    DohBiden (984d23)

  12. Lee,

    I had never heard of this issue until you blogged here. It’s really compelling. As someone who opposes pretty much all farm subsidies just on principle, I have to compliment you. Really, great stuff.

    carlitos (00428f)

  13. You along with Eric Cantor want the poor to fend for themselves you must think of teh children

    /Jay Leno

    DohBiden (984d23)

  14. Carlitos — thanks very much!

    Lee Stranahan (708cc3)

  15. What lawsuit is he talking about? Surely the Sherrod woman isn’t so dumb as to actually file the lawsuit she got so much publicity for threatening. What could she hope to achieve? The publicity she already got; and actually filing means Breitbart gets to depose her. If I were him I’d be salivating at the opportunity, and surely her lawyer explained that to her. So what’s in it for her? Don’t tell me she actually thinks she could win.

    Milhouse (ea66e3)

  16. I did not notice Jharp was back looking for more attention. When did they let him out?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  17. I first got the feeling that something bad might be afoot when Bob Dole bought his condo from Dwayne Andreas. That deal wasn’t much different from Obama’s home purchase, courtesy of Tony Rezko. There is a lot of money in agrucultural subsidies.

    carlitos (00428f)

  18. Carlitos, there were two reasons I refused to vote for Dole in ’96: ADA and ADM.

    Milhouse (ea66e3)

  19. I’m feeling you, bro.

    carlitos (00428f)

  20. Sadly, in ’96 I voted for Harry Browne. In my 4-person family, each of us voted for a different candidate. Interesting election.

    carlitos (00428f)

  21. “Surely the Sherrod woman isn’t so dumb as to actually file the lawsuit…”

    Already filed. D.C. Superior Court.

    She’s got some serious heavyweight lawyers working for her too.

    Kirkland & Ellis.

    Dave Surls (7f8e4e)

  22. I wanted to be a Black farmer, but am not Black nor a farmer, but I want to be, so how about a check.

    Neo (03e5c2)

  23. “how about a check.”

    Every liberal’s battlecry. We ought to tattoo it on their foreheads. It would save time and energy at the welfare office.

    Dave Surls (7f8e4e)

  24. I was wondering when the lefty commentariat would send trolls as a reaction to Lee Stranahn’s blogging here.

    I didn’t realize they would send someone as stupid as jharp.

    Have Blue (854a6e)

  25. Leftys who have a problem with Chris Christie’s voucher plan have a problem with blacks choosing a scgool for there kids there I said it………that includes Jharp.

    DohBiden (984d23)

  26. school*

    DohBiden (984d23)

  27. Lee, good stuff and thank you for working on this.

    This unfortunately illustrates why you’re wasting your time. When even people with ‘R’s next to their name dig in to defend the program (for who knows what reason)

    fear.
    We all know they support it out of fear for looking bad/racist/uncaring toward poor/disadvantaged people.
    It has been a powerful weapon against people with Rs next to their names.

    MayBee (081489)

  28. How very racisty of you, MayBee 😉

    JD (318f81)

  29. Grassley is also the guy who foisted ethonol on us. Thanks for rise in food prices, Chuck!

    L. Weber (f17111)


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