WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration said on Thursday it was creating a new division at the US Department of Justice to combat what the White House called “rampant” fraud across the country.
Rights advocates and critics have said the Trump administration has used fraud allegations as an excuse to target immigrants and political opponents. They have also dismissed Trump’s ability to tackle fraud, citing pardons from Trump to those who have faced fraud convictions in the past.
“To combat the rampant and pervasive problem of fraud in the United States, the DOJ’s new division for national fraud enforcement will enforce the federal criminal and civil laws against fraud targeting federal government programs, federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits and private citizens nationwide,” the White House said in a statement.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has singled out Minnesota, alleging rampant fraud is being committed by immigrants in the welfare system and social-service programs.
Trump administration officials have frequently and sharply attacked the state’s Somali community, the largest in the country. Rights and immigration advocates say Trump has exaggerated isolated examples and used those to engage in what they called federal overreach.
The assistant attorney general for the new Justice Department division will be responsible for leading the department’s efforts to investigate, prosecute and remedy fraud affecting the federal government, federally funded programs and private citizens, the White House said.
The White House said the official will advise the US attorney general and deputy attorney general “on issues involving significant, high-impact fraud investigations and prosecutions and related policy matters.”
Earlier this week, the Trump administration said it would freeze more than $10 billion in federal childcare and family assistance funds to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, citing what the administration called fraud concerns. The states later sued the Trump administration.
The administration has threatened federal funding cuts to organizations and states over a number of issues ranging from alleged fraud in programs in states governed by Democrats to diversity initiatives and pro-Palestinian university protests against US ally Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Trump administration says it is creating new DOJ division to tackle fraud
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Trump administration says it is creating new DOJ division to tackle fraud
- Trump administration has said it is freezing funds for some states over fraud allegations
- Critics say Trump has used fraud probes to go after immigrants and political opponents
Greek police detain 313 in raid at university after mob attacked police
- Such attacks against riot police near the university campus are not uncommon
- Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to beat back the attackers
THESSALONIKI, Greece: Authorities in Greece on Saturday detained 313 people in a raid on the university campus of the country’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, after riot police were attacked by mobs of people hurling more than 100 Molotov cocktails.
Greek police said roving groups of people wearing hoods emerged from the campus of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the predawn hours Saturday to attack a squad of riot police. The unit is usually deployed some distance from the campus to quell any disturbances after all-night parties that take place on university grounds.
Police said all 313 people were released without being charged.
Such attacks against riot police near the university campus are not uncommon but it’s the first time that so many people were detained after such a clash during which an unusually high number of firebombs was used.
Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to beat back the attackers. One officer was taken to a military hospital for burns to his face and leg while a 21-year-old civilian was treated for respiratory problems, police said.
The university said in a statement that off-campus “extremists” in conjunction with some individuals from within university grounds had committed the attacks. They said an investigation is underway to determine if any students had taken part. They added that no permission had been granted for any party to take place on university grounds.
