The federal government should raise the legal consequences for individuals or groups defrauding the nation’s low-income grocery benefit program, a Trump administration watchdog nominee said Wednesday.
“We can do more in terms of pursuing federal criminal prosecutions and making sure that we’re building the cases for the Department of Justice to go after those who commit fraud with taxpayer dollars,” John Walk told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during a hearing on his nomination to be the Agriculture Department’s inspector general.
Walk acknowledged he took a particular interest in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud during his four-month ...