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Red-state auditor reports ‘explosion’ of fraud tips as he targets state employees ‘racking up’ taxpayer waste
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Nebraska’s top auditor says fraud complaints are surging as waste, fraud, and abuse dominate the national conversation, telling Fox News Digital that his own crackdown has uncovered alleged misuse of taxpayer resources inside state government.
«It’s just extraordinary the explosion of phone calls and allegations and emails and so forth that are pouring into my office,» Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley said as the fraud crackdown have become a national news story and the Trump administration, led by Vice President JD Vance, unleashed a task force to root out fraud.
«And as the media focuses on this more and more, it just makes the phone ring all the more, which is fine. We’re happy to receive those calls and try to filter through them and find out which ones are the most legitimate ones for us to pursue. But it’s clearly on the rise.»
Foley, speaking with Fox News Digital from the State Financial Officers Foundation conference in Clearwater, Florida, is sounding the alarm specifically on what he says is an issue with taxpayer money being wasted or possibly defrauded by state workers, which he has made efforts to crack down on.
«Many of our state vehicles are now equipped with a GPS tracker,» Foley explained. «We can see precisely where these state vehicles are really going during work hours and they’re going to liquor stores. They’re going into health appointments that the employee might have. They’re on personal errands all across the state, and it’s racking up a lot of expense for the taxpayers in a very improper way.»
‘MISSISSIPPI MUSK’: STATE AUDITOR’S MOGE REPORT FINDS $400M IN GOVERNMENT WASTE
Vice President JD Vance and Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Mehmet Oz spoke about combatting fraud at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex on Feb. 25, 2026. (Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)
Foley’s office reviewed GPS data from 45 state fleet vehicles and found employees allegedly using them for «trips to retail outlets, restaurants, medical facilities, residences of relatives, commuting home without permission and other private errands,» the Nebraska Examiner reported last year.
Foley put out a press release last year documenting how he uncovered what he described as a «disturbing uptick» in alleged financial improprieties across local governments statewide, detailing eight recent investigations involving suspected misuse of public money, questionable reimbursements and possible fraud.
«I can cite so many examples of contractors that are over billing or double-billing the state, all kinds of state employee infractions of using state vehicles and state assets improperly, having contractors bill us for hours which we know they did not work, having state employees billed us for time served when we know that they were at a different place of employment, public school districts that are milking public school funds for all kinds of extravagances and so forth, but at the end of the day, the tone has to be set at the top.»
At the top, Foley’s efforts on waste, fraud, and abuse have led him to a situation that he describes as «uncomfortable,» which has put him at odds with Nebraska’s Republican Gov. Jim Pillen.
FINAL WALZ FRAUD REPORT RIPS ‘CULTURE OF TOLERANCE’ AS MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS FACE BILLIONS IN ALLEGED LOSSES
Foley has been involved in a highly publicized debate with Pillen, arguing that the governor improperly awarded a no-bid state contract worth roughly $2 million to a consultant with ties to the governor. Nebraska law generally requires public bidding for contracts over $50,000 and says the administration wrongly claimed there was an «emergency» to bypass that process.
«There was no emergency and later now they’re claiming that she brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in grant awards,» Foley said. «The truth is those grant award applications were filed by other people, other contractors before she was even on the job. So this is a very, very serious abuse and it sets the tone in the wrong way. For other people in the state government who can say the governor can do that, I can do it too. And that’s wrong.»
Pillen’s administration has denied wrongdoing, maintaining the contract was justified because of the need to quickly pursue economic development opportunities and federal funding.
«The contract was done the right way and is bringing hundreds of millions of dollars of value to Nebraska, which otherwise would have been wasted in California,» Pillen spokesperson Laura Strimple told Fox News Digital. «Auditor Foley disagrees and he is entitled to his opinion.»
Foley has referred the matter to law enforcement for further review, saying his office’s role is limited to conducting audits and highlighting potential violations.
«I’m not the most popular person in state government,» Foley jokingly told Fox News Digital, but said «we must» track expenditures in order to safeguard taxpayer funds.
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The Nebraska state capitol building in Lincoln, Nebraska (Getty Images)
«Nebraska regrettably is a high-tax state and people know that, and they’re fed up with these high taxes, and they know that money is not being spent properly in so many instances, and they are relying on me and my office to catch this kind of thing, and we’re doing a good job,» Foley said.
«There needs to be consequences when we find these kinds of abuses, and there are. Many people are losing their jobs because they’ve abused the trust of having access to a credit card or other assets of the government, or there could be even further legal complications and infractions and jail sentences even. We’ve put a number of people behind bars because of abuse and stealing of public funds.»
corruption crime, governors, republicans elections, nebraska, investigations
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Rubio’s call to combat global funders of far-left terrorism could put Singham in crosshairs
Marco Rubio: Far-left political terrorism is an international threat getting worse
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns against the resurgence of far-left political terrorism, highlighting its global historical presence and rising current threat. He cites examples of violent attacks, from firebombings in Greece to assassinations by Marxist groups across the world. Rubio urges international partners to unite, share intelligence, and dismantle these interconnected networks of ‘poisonous resentment.’
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Secretary Marco Rubio’s call for global cooperation to combat far-left political terrorism could implicate Neville Roy Singham, a Marxist nonprofit financier who is currently facing a federal grand jury probe in New York.
Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups that operate in the U.S. He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. These groups regularly organize and participate in anti-ICE, anti-Israel and pro-Iran demonstrations.
At a State Department summit held in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Rubio urged more than 60 countries to treat far-left global terrorism as a counterterrorism priority.
Jodie Evans and Neville Roy Singham are pictured together. (Getty Images)
DOJ LAUNCHES GRAND JURY PROBE INTO MARXIST MOGUL NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S FUNDING OF LEFTIST GROUPS
«For far too long, however, our counterterrorism doctrine has had a blind spot – a blind spot when it comes to extremist violence from the political left, Rubio said. «Even today, the very idea that far-left terrorism could be a serious threat is treated as a right-wing fever dream, or worse, as a dangerous fascist conspiracy.»
Rubio noted that networks are coordinating across multiple countries, providing training instructions and using encrypted communication to facilitate unrest. He said that international cooperation is critical to disrupting the financing of dangerous organizations, and that some are working with hostile foreign states.
Rubio did not mention Singham by name and State Department officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Singham’s web of nonprofits are known to promote communist and Marxist ideals on social media platforms and on the ground at demonstrations across the country. Code Pink, which was co-founded by Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans, regularly protests in the U.S. Capitol, confronting lawmakers and openly admits that «China is Not Our Enemy.»
RUBIO PUTS ENTIRE WORLD ON NOTICE AGAINST RISE OF ‘POISONOUS’ FAR-LEFT TERROR ‘MASKED AS EQUALITY’
Rubio mentioned the dangerous influence Marxist beliefs can have when tied to acts of terrorism. He said the left often seems to excuse violence carried out by its own extremists.
«A bomb planted by a neo-Nazi group was a nefarious and murderous act of evil,» Rubio said. «But a bomb planted by a Marxist revolutionary – well, that’s just merely a tragic excess of idealism. Perhaps its means were misplaced or overzealous, but its ends were virtuous and just. That’s the implication of how they treat it.»
Congress has also taken note of Singham’s activities. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., launched an investigation into the Singham nonprofit network last year, and members in the upper chamber are also sounding the alarm on Singham’s ties to China.
«Chinese-funded, anti-American billionaires like Neville Roy Singham are instigating far-left chaos across our country,» Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital. «This needs to stop, and Secretary Rubio is rightly taking action to confront this transnational scourge head-on.»
INTEL EXPERT SAYS SINGHAM NETWORK IS MORE THAN A NONPROFIT SCANDAL—IT’S A SECURITY THREAT
Last month, Fox News Digital reported that the Department of Justice has launched a grand jury investigation into alleged financial crimes. Singham hasn’t responded to repeated requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the grand jury in Manhattan has issued subpoenas as part of a probe launched by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York, one of the country’s most powerful districts for federal prosecutions. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized the investigation as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on fraud, money laundering and other financial crimes in the multibillion-dollar nonprofit industry.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met privately with Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon in New York earlier this year, where, according to sources familiar with the discussion, he warned that the firm could come under scrutiny over its alleged role in the movement of funds tied to Singham.
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
During the meeting, Bessent encouraged Solomon to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation, telling him that Goldman Sachs’ handling of the Singham-linked funds could become part of the federal probe should they choose not to cooperate.
A source with knowledge of the conversation told Fox News Digital that the exchange was cordial, and that Solomon indicated Goldman Sachs would aid investigators.
«All distributions from Mr. Singham’s donor-advised fund were made to legal nonprofits, as determined by the IRS,» a Treasury spokesperson said. «There have been no distributions from the account since August 2023, and it was closed in early 2024.»
scott bessent, counter terrorism, terrorism, politics, globalism, marco rubio
INTERNACIONAL
Sismo de 7.4 sacude a Guatemala: Autoridades declaran alerta anaranjada por daños y descartan tsunami
Un potente sismo de magnitud 7.4 con epicentro en las costas de Chiapas, México, provocó fuertes sacudidas en Guatemala y El Salvador. (Infobae Centroamérica/Emerson Del Cid)
La mañana de este viernes, 17 de julio, la Costa del Pacífico y la región sur-occidente del territorio guatemalteco se vieron sacudidas por un potente movimiento telúrico.
De acuerdo con el reporte oficial de la Red Sismológica Nacional del Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología (INSIVUMEH), el evento sísmico se registró inicialmente a las 08:48 horas.
Aunque en un principio los sistemas automatizados arrojaron una magnitud preliminar de 5.8 con un supuesto epicentro dentro de la soberanía nacional, los expertos de la Sección de Sismología procedieron a realizar la revisión manual de los datos.
Tras analizar el volumen completo de la información a disposición, el instituto actualizó los parámetros oficiales, confirmando que el sismo tuvo una magnitud definitiva de 7.4 y que su epicentro se localizó realmente en las costas del Pacífico, en territorio de México, muy cercano a la frontera con Guatemala.
A raíz de la considerable magnitud de este terremoto y de su ubicación marítima, el Centro de Alerta de Tsunamis del Pacífico emitió una notificación preliminar para la región centroamericana.
No obstante, las autoridades científicas del INSIVUMEH, en su boletín de seguimiento técnico, aclararon que la clasificación de la amenaza para las costas de Guatemala es estrictamente Baja.
Los expertos detallaron que, si bien se descarta por completo un fenómeno de tsunami devastador o destructivo para el país, la población costera debe comprender el comportamiento de la naturaleza.
Un tsunami consiste en una serie de olas sucesivas y, aunque en esta ocasión no se presentará una catástrofe, los modelos hidrológicos prevén fluctuaciones en el nivel de la marea que no superarán los 100 centímetros (1 metro) de altura, viniendo acompañadas de un incremento en la fuerza de las corrientes y del oleaje convencional.
Las estimaciones de arribo de la primera perturbación marina comenzaron a registrarse a partir de las 09:35 horas en el departamento de San Marcos, extendiéndose de manera paulatina hacia Suchitepéquez, Escuintla, Santa Rosa, Retalhuleu y el puerto de Champerico.
Como parte de las acciones inmediatas de respuesta ante el potente sismo de las 08:48 horas, las autoridades han declarado formalmente la alerta anaranjada institucional.
Esta medida busca agilizar la movilización de recursos y la coordinación interinstitucional, dado que ya se reportan daños materiales en distintas partes del país. De manera preliminar, el sistema de emergencia contabiliza hasta el momento un total de 20 emergencias registradas. La distribución geográfica de estos incidentes se concentra principalmente en el occidente y centro de la República:
- Siete emergencias en el departamento de Quetzaltenango
- Cinco en Sololá
- Tres en San Marcos
- teres en Guatemala
- Una en Totonicapán
- Una en Retalhuleu.
Ante este escenario, la recomendación principal hacia las comunidades costeras y el sector pesquero artesanal es mantener la prudencia y alejarse temporalmente de la línea de playa hasta nuevo aviso, con el fin de evitar percances por los cambios súbitos en la fuerza del mar. Mientras tanto, en el territorio mexicano, las réplicas del sismo principal no han cesado; los servicios geológicos del vecino país del norte ya contabilizan más de 30 réplicas en las zonas colindantes al epicentro original, manteniendo en alerta a los cuerpos de socorro de ambos lados de la frontera.
En seguimiento directo al sismo registrado esta mañana y con el firme objetivo de salvaguardar la vida de los estudiantes guatemaltecos, el Ministerio de Educación (Mineduc), liderado por sus autoridades centrales, ha tomado medidas drásticas de carácter preventivo.
A través de una disposición oficial de última hora, la cartera educativa anunció la suspensión total de las clases presenciales para este viernes 17 de julio de 2026.
Esta orden de restricción temporal aplica estrictamente para los departamentos de San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Suchitepéquez y Retalhuleu, las regiones del país que percibieron el movimiento telúrico con mayor intensidad y donde se concentra el mayor riesgo de réplicas.
La autoridad ministerial enfatizó que la medida de suspensión posee un carácter integral, por lo que abarca de forma obligatoria a todos los centros educativos que operan en las jurisdicciones mencionadas. Esto incluye a los establecimientos del sector público, del sector privado, los institutos por cooperativa, las escuelas municipales y todos los programas del sistema de educación extraescolar.
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