Remember Obama phones?

For the last 10 years, the Federal Communications Commission has spent some $1 billion a year on the Obama era program that subsidizes cell phone and Internet service for people earning below 135% of the poverty line. Everyone receiving Medicaid, food stamps or public housing money is eligible.

It won’t shock HOTLINE readers that the program is prone to fraud and abuse. When Trump  took office last year the FCC’s Inspector General began investigating three states with high usage and discovered millions of dollars in subsidies are being spent on deceased people.

Guess which state had the most fraudsters.

Over 80% of the fraud came out of California, which was providing service for 94,000 “dead” accounts.

The California Public Utilities Commission, all of whose members were appointed by Newsom, has issued a statement that whines: “We take program integrity seriously (sic). But it’s misleading — and political — to single out California. This is a nationwide issue, not a California scandal.”

On that we sort of agree. Time to investigate the other 49 states and see how much abuse can be uncovered.