100 Comments
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Jim Carmichael's avatar

You identify, investigate, and explain the most intricate of scams with such aplomb. I am so grateful for your investigative journalism!

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HM Haskins's avatar

The grift and corruption continues. Happy Monday!

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NubbyShober's avatar

Pay to play, baby!

The only point that surprised me was that there was a perfectly legal $5 million donation to Trump's super-PAC. Instead of an untraceable crypto purchase of $5 million in $TRUMP meme coins. Which would've gone directly into his pocket.

"We've got the biggest, most beautiful swamp of all time; unequalled in it's luxuriant swampiness. MAGA!" --DJT

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Mike McCabe's avatar

This entire Presidency is a shakedown.

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Jean in Florida's avatar

Trump openly accepts & encourages bribes. Companies see this, & offer bribes. It is common knowledge & published in the media. What is wrong with the Republicans in government that they find this acceptable? What is wrong with the voters that don’t find this wrong & cry for his impeachment? How did we get here?

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avillagedweller's avatar

The man pardoned a couple whose share of a $200 million Medicaid Fraud Scheme was close to $90 million. He adores fraudsters. Oops, sorry, I think he calls them ‘pioneering disruptors’

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Bonnie Devine's avatar

I suspect trump’s vocabulary doesn’t allow for 3 & 4 syllable words.

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VALERIE MELUSKEY's avatar

Lack of knowledge...lack of reading, listening to truth, knowing when someone is lying...disinterest, laziness, preferring an easy answer to one that requires our attention and personal investigation. Then, there's the value system that puts money and profit above all else.

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Jean in Florida's avatar

Plus just trying to cope with everyday life: kids, parents, bills, low-paying jobs, no benefits, housework, car problems, etc etc etc.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

They want some of the action.

As for impeachment, it is not going to happen & it is not a solution. No one is going to save us from ourselves except us.

It would aggravate him if Dems took the House & impeached him again. We are nowhere near the point where 2/3 of the Senate would go for conviction. The GOP from top to bottom is only worried about doing what he says/wants or seeing if they can go further. I don’t believe for one minute JD Vance and the rest would toss the plan that gave the GOP all this power.

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Jean in Florida's avatar

When the Dems take the House, I would like to see a committee (like the JAN 6th) hold a hearing & compel testimony & release reports to keep Trump’s treasonous activities in the news. Scream it from the rooftops, so everyone hears about it everywhere on a daily basis. Drown them in the facts of his grift and greed. Make it so newsworthy that the mainstream media covers it daily. Educate the populace to the true facts. Just because the GOP are cowards & will not vote for impeachment doesn’t mean we can’t get their treason on the record.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Well, there will be plenty to work on. I think to avoid pardons & DOJ issues Dems would need the WH to compel anything. But there should be a way to do it as a steady drumbeat - without wearing out the audience.

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Karen Scofield's avatar

What a Rip Off for the American people, and again, Good for Trump's wallet. This is disgusting. Thanks, you will reStack ASAP 💯👍

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Karon's avatar

Senator Rick Scott made his fortune with Medicare fraud. He pleaded the 5th over 70 times during his trial. Don't expect anything but fraud and bribery from this current republican party

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Jean in Florida's avatar

Plus he walked away from that job with a Golden Parachute!

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Bonnie Devine's avatar

Indeed Scott did & was voted in as a senator for his grifting ways. One has to wonder what’s in the fetid air in Florida, for folks to vote in the many grifters & predators.

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Janet Jeffers's avatar

What an eye-opening example of the corporate grift — this is what a legitimate, impartial DOGE effort would be rooting out. I keep sharing these stories in hopes of enlightening any supporters of this regime who are still in my orbit. It may be futile, but we all need to do what we can to combat the firehose of disinformation coming at us every single day.

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Dennis D.'s avatar

Except that it was *already* rooted out, by the Biden Administration. Callback to the former DOGE employee who was quoted as saying he was surprised by how little waste there actually was.

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JenneJ's avatar

It's a little exaggerated to credit the Biden administration for rooting out all the corruption. It's actually something legitimate elected officials work on constantly. Most of what the Trump DOGE rooted out wasn't WF&A. Mostly they got rid of stuff they just don't like, or that would prevent them from continuing the grift.

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Dennis D.'s avatar

I never said they rooted out ALL corruption, that would be ridiculous. I said they rooted out this one.

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Robert's avatar

Great Reporting! Everyone please pass this information on….I believe only PBS will report this information. All the other news ( Correction entertainment news) won’t be reporting it. Thanks Judd!

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Judd Legum's avatar

I cite that report. The new information is the $5 million February donation that prompted it. That wasn’t made public until last week.

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Robert's avatar

Thanks… Sarah & Katie reporting was fabulous!

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Patt's avatar

Pro-publica too.

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john king (MY HUMBLE OPINION)'s avatar

The only money Trump considers wasted is what doesn't go to his wallet.

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mark's avatar

Trump embraced crypto once he learned he could benefit from the scam. He got his cut so all was wonderful in crypto land.

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john king (MY HUMBLE OPINION)'s avatar

He’ll ride the wave until he robs them all

Crypto will die bankrupt like the Taj Mahal

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mark's avatar

Some of the contractors who built the taj mahal were never paid. There are so many people who have been used and discarded by trump I am amazed he can still find people to use.

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VALERIE MELUSKEY's avatar

As usual, all superb journalism such as Judd's Popular Information, demonstrates that Trump perpetually promotes his personal fraudulent practices often more than one example a day of rampant Presidential abuse (NOT BIDEN'S). And, today's perfect headline:

​'Trump pledged to root out 'waste, fraud and abuse.' Then a big contribution to his Super PAC came in.' And, evidence is smack in our faces--no subtlety from Trump and his minions! What amazing work by Judd and team! And such a slap in the face to what Vets and burn victims and diabetic sufferers need for healing!

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Ann Sharon's avatar

I’m thinking of the Billion$ being drained unnecessarily from Medicare & who knows where else.

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JOEL's avatar

Bribery in plain sight

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Patti B's avatar

Medicare just launched a pilot program known as the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model, which requires prior authorization for certain services in traditional Medicare in six specific states: Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington. Skin and tissue substitutes are explicitly included among the 17 services targeted due to their vulnerability to waste and abuse. However, this administration manages the levers of control over what will and will not be covered. Like a spigot, they can increase or decrease the flow at will regardless of the effectiveness of the product. And I guess take kickback PAC contributions for keeping the spigot wide open while appearing to responsibly manage Medicare dollars.

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Joseph Mangano's avatar

I'm sure, due to his stated interest in curbing fraud, that Elon Musk will pick up on this story and spread it to all of his followers. 🙄🙄🙄

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Katy Bolger's avatar

I was thinking the same thing! I don't indulge in social media but it seems to me in the battle of pig v Nazi, this would be a good shot for the Nazi to take. Unless the Nazi has a buddy who makes fake skin for $10,000 s.i..

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Hard to say. Neuralink has had its problems, ethical and otherwise. FDA employees reviewing the product were among those who were DOGE fired. It didn’t appear targeted toward them. But he does detest all regulatory agencies with authority over him.

https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/sec-reopens-investigation-elon-musks-neuralink-likely-launched-medical-ethics

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Pat David's avatar

Excellent reporting once again. Thank you.

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Warren Qualley's avatar

I sent a letter to my two U.S. senators, Cruz and Cornyn, pleading with them not to vote for the Recissions Bill. I received a reply only from Cruz. In his reply, he spewed the normal MAGA/Fox News Channel talking points, including the ubiquitous “waste, fraud and abuse” line. The projection is constant.

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Patt's avatar

Notice that Dumpy also invoked "veterans and minorities" to support taking ExtremityCare off the hook. "Waste, fraud & abuse" are just word constructions that pretend to be legitimate.

NYTimes ran an article on Dump's pay to play.

Gift article:

Donor List Suggests Scale of Trump’s Pay-for-Access Operation

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/02/us/politics/donor-list-suggests-scale-of-trumps-pay-for-access-operation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bU8.qP3v.Koq-CsIEESk5&smid=url-share

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Katy Bolger's avatar

Warren, Time to send a new letter with this report attached. Ask Mr. Cruz how he defines waste fraud and abuse.

Also, I'd like to say how sorry I am that your senators are those two. Texas needs to stop taking its own red product and believing its own red propaganda. Texas should be a leader in so many ways, like, say, California, but it keeps drinking the sad red Kool Aid from the rickety Kool Aid stand down the end of the street.

Lose the fake cowboys (C&C), Mr. Mean Hot Wheels and get some good Texans in office, ones who could make your state a strong viable leader in democracy and new innovations, along with the beautiful melting pot face of America, which we know Texas is.

If Paxton is elected to any future office, I know this message got lost in the noise.

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Ginny K's avatar

Infuriating. Thank you for bringing this to light.

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