The Weekly Fix: Why Save Lives When You Can Scam Them?

The fix is in. New York State Assemblywoman Pamela Harris (D) was indicted for defrauding approximately $60,000 in state and federal funds between 2012 and 2016. This includes scamming the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) out of almost $25,000 in Hurricane Sandy relief money.

Her indictment includes charges of wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, submitting false claims, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.

In addition to FEMA, Harris stands accused of defrauding other government agencies including the New York city council, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the city’s Build It Back program for Sandy victims.

Here’s what happened. Assemblywoman Harris claimed her house was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy, forcing her to vacate the home. She applied for payouts from relief agencies to assist her through this “relocation effort.” To provide evidence for the claims, Harris manufactured fake lease agreements and rent payments for a second residence.

With tens of thousands of dollars that could have been spent on the actual victims of Hurricane Sandy, Harris went on a shopping spree at Victoria’s Secret and Kohl’s, spent $10,000 on cruise tickets and vacations, and paid off the mortgage on her original home.

Almost 50 deaths can be directly attributed to Hurricane Sandy in New York. That didn’t seem to deter Assemblywoman Harris from profiteering off the pain of her own constituents. It doesn’t get much more despicable than this.

To make matters worse, Harris then tried to sabotage the FBI investigation after the fact by pressuring witnesses to lie on her behalf. If convicted, Harris could get up to 30 years in prison for the FEMA scamming, and 20 years each on two separate wire fraud charges.

It’s time to take a stand. The American people aren’t being heard by their representatives because the game is rigged. Government isn’t broken. It’s “fixed.”