麻豆女优

Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has made combating fraud a centerpiece of his administration. Trump has said he will target fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs, and his Republican allies in Congress have made combating fraud a key argument in their plans to slash Medicaid. Trump also has empowered the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to make massive cuts to government spending, often claiming to snuff out fraud and waste in the process.聽

Trump鈥檚 present-day crackdown starkly contrasts with his history of showing leniency to convicted fraudsters. In his first and second terms, Trump has granted pardons or commutations to at least 68 people convicted of fraud crimes or interfering with fraud investigations, according to a 麻豆女优 Health News review of court and clemency records, Department of Justice press releases, and news reports. At least 13 of those fraudsters were convicted in cases involving more than $1.6 billion in fraudulent claims filed with Medicare and Medicaid, according to the DOJ.聽

In interviews with 麻豆女优 Health News, two experts on health care fraud said that Trump鈥檚 claimed focus appears to be a pretext for slashing spending that was legally appropriated by Congress.聽

鈥淲hat鈥檚 been the focal point to date of the administration is not what anybody has ever referred to as health care fraud,鈥� said Jacob Elberg, a former assistant U.S. attorney and law professor at Seton Hall University. 鈥淭here is a real blurring 鈥� a seemingly intentional blurring 鈥� between what is actually fraud and what is just spending that they are not in favor of.鈥澛�

Jerry Martin, who served as a U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee under President Barack Obama and now represents health care fraud whistleblowers, said Trump鈥檚 stepped-up interest may embolden informants to come forward.聽

鈥淚鈥檝e had clients repeat back to me 鈥楶resident Trump says fraud is a priority,鈥欌�� Martin said. 鈥淧eople are listening to it. But I don鈥檛 know that what he鈥檚 saying translates into what they believe.鈥澛�

Even so, Trump鈥檚 past leniency to fraudsters might discourage the Justice Department from pursuing the whistleblowers鈥� claims, Martin said.聽

鈥淭here are a lot of rank-and-file people who are operating at the lowest point in their professional careers, where they鈥檝e seen a lot of their work essentially be water under the bridge,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 got to be really demoralizing.鈥澛�

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.聽