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Washington
Published January 30

Biden pick to run unemployment program oversaw $600M in losses to Nigerian fraud scheme: report


LeVine’s transition into a White House role comes amid an unemployment fraud scandal at her department that cost the state over $600 million



By Morgan Phillips | Fox News





Suzi LeVine, the departing head of Washington state’s Employment Security Department (ESD), reportedly will run a federal agency office that assists states in processing unemployment claims.

But LeVine’s transition into the Biden administration role comes amid an unemployment fraud scandal at her state-level department that cost Washington state over $600 million.

The fraudulent unemployment claims were believed to be linked to a well-organized Nigerian fraud ring using identities stolen in prior data breaches, such as the massive 2017 Equifax breach. More than 122,000 fraudulent claims made in the state siphoned off the cash.

The Secret Service announced that Washington state was the main prey of the scandal, though other states were also targeted. Separately, California has its own unemployment scandal amounting to over $11 billion, while another $20 billion in possible losses is still being investigated.

LeVine's forthcoming role will be interim assistant secretary of the Employment and Training Administration, part of the Labor Department, five people familiar with the transition told Bloomberg Law. Levine and her husband Eric gave $400,000 to the Biden campaign and other Democratic causes in 2019 and 2020, according to federal campaign records.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-pick-to-run-unemployment-program-oversaw-hundreds-of-millions

CALIFORNIA UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD SCANDAL GROWS TO $11 BILLION, $20B UNDER SCRUTINY

The new job would put her at the front of President Biden’s economic recovery plan, after the economy shrunk by more than 10 million jobs since the start of the pandemic. With an annual budget of roughly $9 billion — about three-quarters of overall Labor Department dollars, the ETA will have a key role in patching up the scarce labor market.

It’s not clear if LeVine will ever drop the "interim" part of her new title, but to transition into the permanent role she must be confirmed by the Senate, and questions about her record in Olympia could arise.

A recent Washington state audit faulted the ESD under LeVine for failing to fix a software vulnerability that contributed to last spring’s massive unemployment fraud, according to the Seattle Times.

LeVine, announcing the staggering blow to the state’s finances in May, said that officials were working to recover as much of the money as possible. She said the state had taken steps to prevent new fraudulent claims, but did not detail the steps.

"We do have definitive proof that the countermeasures we have put in place are working," LeVine said. "We have successfully prevented hundreds of millions of additional dollars from going out to these criminals and prevented thousands of fraudulent claims from being filed."


Washington state was able to recover $357 million as a result of the state’s collaboration with federal law enforcement and financial institutions across the country, leaving a net loss of $243 million. Efforts are ongoing to recover more of the money.

ESD officials acknowledged that because of the elimination of a so-called waiting week between when a claim is filed and the time the benefit was paid, the agency wasn’t always able to verify a claim with employers before the payment was made. The change was instituted by Gov. Jay Inslee.



State auditor Pat McCarthy rebuked LeVine, a fellow Democrat, for delays in supplying the auditor’s office with information about the fraud.

Things like, correct use of money shows integrity, how hard is it to not steal? It's not hard at all.

Critics have also noted that LeVine, who worked at Microsoft and Expedia and served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein for three years in the Obama administration, is a longtime player in Democratic politics.


The LeVines gave more than $400,000 to the Biden campaign and other Democratic causes in 2019 and 2020, according to federal campaign records.

In 2017, the LeVines were appointed as deputy national finance chairs for the Democratic National Committee, according to its website.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ec...nt-report-says/

At least on the surface, it sounds like a poor choice.

I wonder if others had to pay for their position?

Brother, I'm sure there is some of that for sure, and it sucks.

It happens with every administration, and it infuriates me. I mean, how in the hell do you get someone like Betsy DeVos to be Education Secretary, otherwise?

Ambassador seems to be the most commonly awarded role for contributors.

trump university, trump charities...

Fox news knows how to sniff out a fraud. They were all-in on Trump for 4+ years.

What about Trump! What about Trump!

Soo-o-o 400,000 dollars bought them a job??
Ain't that a (female dog).

We are so troubled

OK, so She properly executed a 600K dollar scam of unemployment funds while director of who gets unemployment funds, at the state level,

So the Democrats, promote this person to director of unemployment processing at the National level,

Well we all know democrats: this is exactly what they were looking for, I mean,
if the goal is, If the goal is, to find someone who can use a scam to mis appropriate funds, ( which we all kinda know is probably the motivation of the democrat party, I mean they've been showing their cards as a party for 40 years plus)

then who better, than someone who got away with a scandal on funds at the state level, and already knows the game.

This is the democrats, this what we are, like it or not.
Take what your Uncle Sam gives you! and Like it!

Explain exactly, how is this a LeVine scandal?

They're trying to point to incompetence because her department got scammed while on her watch....

It's one day before the impeachment trial. You didn't expect them to come up with a last minute distraction?

It's like with the Access Hollywood video. Trump says some of the nastiest things you can say about women then they scream "E-mails!". Same shat different day.

People whined and complained for 4 years to get rid of Trump so stuff like this wouldn't happen and we could have a "person of integrity" in the Whitehouse..

Claiming "Well Trump was worse..." gets you nowhere.

Maybe you can answer Spirals question then....."Explain exactly, how is this a LeVine scandal?"

It's not like the money ended up in her bank account or in her company's account.

Claiming this women is a scandalous thief get’s ya’ll nowhere as well.

That’s why you’ll see whataboutisms here. When trump supporters perpetrate lies like this here, you know trump is bound to be brought up right? It exposes y’all of who you truly support. The party of the big lie. The party of insurrectionists. The party of trump.

Suzi LeVine was in charge.

State Auditor Pat McCarthy, a fellow Democrat told LeVine in an October letter, which later became public through an open records request made by the Seattle Times, that auditors were being denied access to documents and personnel within LeVine’s department.


Copy of letter: https://aboutblaw.com/VpB


Biden was going to make a bad decision regardless.

The president’s planned choice for deputy labor secretary, Julie Su, faces criticisms similar to those of LeVine after the California agency she leads got fleeced for more than $10 billion in bogus unemployment claims.

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labo...makers-take-aim

You have a woman who has worked in technology her entire life, up until she got into politics where, after being an ambassador, was put in charge of unemployment for the state of Washington...

Where, under her nose, a technology fraud was perpetrated on her department costing her state over $600 million..

It doesn't point to her being a thief, it points to her being incompetent.. so let's put her in charge of a much bigger responsibility..

Politics, where you get promoted to the highest level of your incompetence...

We want better qualified and able people in charge - basically in as many different roles as possible. The more the better.

Suggesting this this sort of thing is why we voted Trump out of office ... No. Not ever close.

Should anyone and everyone of any political leaning look hard at an appointee who **apparently** was in charge of something that went wrong ... yes.

While we are on that - and as a little "Whataboutism" because you went there with your Trump reference. . . . if the Top dog is supposed to be held accountable, why then does Trump openly get to skate away from his claims of taking no responsibility over Covid's impact in the USA? Where were you blasting him then? What about the failed trade war with China that had us subsidizing Billions to farmers? What about every other Trump Policy that turned into a Turd? What about Kushner being given roles he was woefully unqualified for and was useless at??

Go find me all the outrage over those things - and I'll listen and agree on the same level of accountability for every one of Biden's appointees.

Explain how this is a Levine Scandal?

Her office got scammed for 600 million dollars, and she responded with, the efforts we're making are having an effect.

In a similar sense, John McCain's plane got shot down, and as Trump said, "I prefer people who did not get shot down."

I prefer my banker, to be the bank that did not get tricked by the Nigerian 3-card-montee, street magician, who walked out with 600 million dollars, when my banker was in charge of financial security.

before then Promoting that banker to a National position from a State one.

I'll take the bank that actually locks it's doors.

Kamala Harris slept her way to the top. How can this be worse?

That's a disgusting statement. Where is your proof?

I'm not doing your homework for you.

Maybe Vice President Harris wrote: "I smell like sex" on an obscure internet website, and the newswires ran with it-


That Harris- always keeping it top shelf-level classy...

She slept with an old married man to advance her job.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kamala-harris-affair-willie-brown/

I wouldn't call that classy.

So she dated an older guy that she worked with while he was technically still married but estranged for over a decade? OH the HORROR! smh

Eve you are better than this and I know it. Sl*t shaming is below you. I'm done with this topic.

An older guy? She was in her 20s and he was in his 60s. And MARRIED. To advance her career. She deserves it when they call her a ho.

Dandy Don is laughing at your hypocrisy, and is glad of the double standard. You can do better.

Dandy Don and the Ho Harris would have made a great couple.

I doubt that he would have gone for it. You know that Donald’s preference was with Eastern European women.

Yet we have over 300,000 dead Americans right under Trumps nose and he’s your guy right? You trump supporters need to let it go. Stop crying? Stop all the aggression towards others. Y’all ain’t right.

So if I called her a floozie or bimbo, I wouldn't be incorrect?

Considering your past posts you seem to dislike women of power. So call her anything you want. Sticks and stones at this point. Pfft trump supporters just spewing hate and crying once again.

You have no clue. Think what you want.

Seems pretty obvious who you do support and who you don’t support so you’re wrong. I do have a clue.

Just to set the record straight, who I support and who I don't based on your limited knowledge of me isn't exactly grounds to think I have a problem with women in positions of authority.

Just saying

I will say one thing...

Everyone has opinions about Kamala the person/candidate. What I'm not a fan of is Biden's leadup to her selection. Announcing that his VP was going to be a woman was actually a slap in the face to the female candidates and the notion that women can do just as bad of a job as the men have (they can).

IMO, announcing that the pool of candidates for VP was going to be restricted to women is actually saying that there isn't a qualified woman among the men, but you're going to select one anyway because you want to score internet points with SJWs.

You talk about judging you based on limited knowledge - yet you are happy to promote the name calling of Bimbo or Floosie based on less than limited knowledge of any circumstances (all be it in the form of a question) .... you are happy to throw out a line about physical actions that women can perform on you thinking that's acceptable .... I don't pay close enough attention but other female posters who I respect have commented on a history of throw away misogynistic comments. Yes I know it's a generational thing. But just like 'retard' and 'poof' and other gay slurs are no longer acceptable, the days of old white guys cracking comments about women has also been and gone. To not check yourself when putting those once acceptable clichés in text and hitting "submit" justifiably opens you up for criticism - whether you care or not.

j/c

How scammers siphoned $36B in fraudulent unemployment payments from US

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/i...-us/3960263001/