North Carolina Republican Making Six-Figure Income Gets Busted For Welfare Fraud

[Veilex]

Apparently, the Merediths went to the county Department of Social Services in 1996 and applied for Medicaid benefits. The Merediths also applied for WIC (food stamps) benefits at the same time. The released documents corroborate this information.

The documents also show that Wesley Meredith had a gross income of over $100,000 and received benefits at a time when people had to be making less than $19,800 to qualify for government assistance

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/10/02/north-carolina-republican-making-six-figure-income-gets-busted-for-welfare-fraud/

Anyone surprised by this, please raise your hand...

*crickets*

[louis-t]

1. OMFG!

[coldbeer]

11. louis-t --- you hit it

Couldn't write it better myself .... OMFG!

[valerief]

2. So that's what a pink Cadillac welfare queen looks like!

His lead is very scary.

GOP state Senator Wesley Meredith currently enjoys a double-digit lead against his Democratic opponent Billy Richardson. But on Tuesday, Richardson released documents that could be a potential game-changer with a month to go before Election Day.

Oh, and this, too.

And the welfare fraud may not even be the worst of it. The documents also suggest that Meredith abandoned his wife and child financially. Of course, Meredith claimed that he has no memory of signing up for state assistance and then tried to shift the blame to his ex-wife. So much for so-called Republican “family values.”

[nomorenomore08]

4. Yep. They just got the "color scheme" all wrong.

[valerief]

5. Pink cheeks, not pink caddy. nt

[TRoN33]

16. Very well articulated and comprehend statement.

Yet... This "family value and God-fearing" Republican will get elected. Why? Of course, this is North Carolina we're talking about. Just like its neighborly cousin just south that elected Mark Sanford because days before the election, Mark was down by few points and he invoked "my life is in God's hands now" was the mainly reason why he got elected to delight of Boehner's drunken starry eyes.

[montanacowboy]

3. WIC isn't food stamps

it's the Women, Infants and Children Program, milk for infants and children, separate from the Food Stamp Program. However, it's disgraceful - just like them to suck away programs from the truly needy. Bastards.

[Veilex]

10. "WIC isn't food stamps" - True! It is public assistance though.

Those who make above a certain threshold income are not eligible for WIC.

[Historic NY]

6. GOP state Senator Wesley Meredith ....

currently enjoys a double-digit lead against his Democratic opponent Billy Richardson. But on Tuesday, Richardson released documents that could be a potential game-changer with a month to go before Election Day.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Now we know how Republicans came to be such experts on welfare fraud

But, yes, I'm surprised. On the other hand, if there's a well-to-do creep out there who would do this sort of thing, it doesn't surprise that it's a Republican living in a state that is among the poster children for racist voter suppression.

[malaise]

13. Thread win

ReTHUGs are experts at both welfare fraud and voter fraud - their real aim is to loot government so they have to start somewhere.

[Enthusiast]

38. PLUS ONE, a huge bunch!

[hollysmom]

8. I hope this will help Kay Hagan. every little bit helps.

[Mister Nightowl]

9. I shall let an expert speak for me

[Initech]

40. He'll need to buy "ha ha" insurance.

Trust me the insurance is worth it.

[ReRe]

12. They have no conscience.

They will campaign and vote against food stamps and WIC for the needy, and then do something like this. They're the ones who do the voter fraud, all time time yelling about voter fraud. How could anyone vote Republican, that's the question.

[Salviati]

15. Or imagination...

... Like I often say, if you want to know what a republican is guilty of, you need look no further than what they accuse others of doing.

[ReRe]

19. It's the truth...

... whatever they gripe about, they're guilty of it. Classic description of a sociopath. Believe me, they don't have your or my best interests at heart. They can only think about their OWN best interests. The world revolves around THEM.

[LonePirate]

28. The Repuib patry is filled with so many single issue voters

As long as the Repub candidate supports their one issue, most Repub voters could not care less about anything else such as repugnant, criminal or hypocritical behavior.

[Populist_Prole]

30. Bing-Go!!

I know so so many people like this. Not just here in NC but all over. The gun issue seems to be their biggest single-issue they go with, but any other angry white male hot-button issue will do just fine.

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. 100 k in 1996 was good money

[packman]

43. About 50% or so of Americans would think

it's pretty good money now.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. This story deserves EarlG treatment! nt

[daredtowork]

18. One of the reasons Republicans don't understand welfare

When a Republican goes to commit welfare fraud, they do so with a cushion of resources in place. They have food, shelter, personal networks in place to get problems solved, and all the comforts of home all ready. So to them grabbing a welfare benefit is just a matter of waiting in long line and filling out the forms.

If you are really in need of welfare aid, you have no such aid to fall back on. While you stand in line you are filled with anxieties about where you are going to get food, shelter, and basic necessities. It is likely you have no friends or relatives to reach out to. There is no "cushion" to fall back on. When you fill out the forms, the people you are interacting with are judging you. Other people you interact with will be trying to behaviorially modify you with no understanding of how your current behavior reflects the reality of the situation you're in. If you have continuous need of welfare air, you become a much tormented slave to the bureaucracy as your life is filled with conflicting appointments, endless paperwork and documentation, ridiculous busywork that gets you nowhere, imposed costs such as postage and travel without reimbursement since there is no cash welfare for basic necessities, and of course the psychological burdens of just being a person on welfare and dealing with how people treat you.

Thus when a Republican commits welfare fraud, they can't project the experience of that act on to the experience of people who seek welfare aid because they need it.

[redruddyred]

36. I have to admit, I much prefer welfare to having to drag my sorry, chronically ill ass

to work every day. I don't know how I ever did that. people can scoff if they want; I get to be sick in peace.

btw signed your petition; good for you.

[UCmeNdc]

20. No Jail Time?

[IkeRepublican]

21. He'll be voted in anyway

He used one of the ingredients of Republican Word Salad - "Ex-Wife".

They'll come out in droves for this jackoff now. You watch.

[jmowreader]

22. I knew Wesley Meredith in 1996. There's one part of this that makes no sense

In 1996, he was purely a landscaper. How in hell did he make over $100,000 a year?

[Veilex]

23. Now that... is an outstanding question!

Last edited Sun Oct 5, 2014, 01:49 PM - Edit history (1)

I'd love to know as well.

[SomethingFishy]

24. Crooks and Liars also has an article

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/10/wealthy-north-carolina-republican-pol

The ex claims it's all true and that her divorce lawyer told her they broke the law..

[Veilex]

26. Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[rurallib]

42. "While the GOP defends Meredith, his ex-wife says the allegations are true."

GOP defends its hero:

The North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus called Richardson's revelation"desperate and despicable" and has already jumped on the opportunity to defend its hero. "The only thing surprising about Billy Richardson's wild accusations is that he didn't stand on his desk and hurl them at the media. Less than 24 hours after the first public poll in this race showed him trailing by an insurmountable, double-digit margin, Richardson decided to drive his campaign into the gutter – the same place where he's spent much of his professional and political career," said the group.


Thanks for that article

[salib]

25. They simply point out that "see, people cheat on these programs"

So we need to make it much tougher (or get rid of the programs altogether).

Self-righteous asshats.

[QED]

27. Bottom line: IOKIYAR

[Demeter]

29. It took them 18 years to find this out?

There's the REAL scandal.

[a kennedy]

31. This just makes me sick.......

[happyslug]

32. There is no law that says a millionaire can NOT apply for welfare

Thus APPLYING for welfare is NOT illegal for a person who is NOT eligible for welfare. LYING on the application IS ILLEGAL. It is possible for someone to apply who is not eligible for welfare, but such people are then denied benefits.

Thus APPLYING for welfare (including WIC and Food stamps) is NOT the issue here. It is lying on the
application that is the crime. The problem is the is any statute of limitation expired years ago. This is 18 years ago and most statute of limitations are only four years. I.e. the last time for prosecution was around 2000. It us now 2014.

Thus this can be a campaign issue but it is long past being a legal issue.

As to why welfare did not catch it, his employment in 1996 was self employment. Income can be hidden in such situations and I suspect it was for he did not want his wife to know how much money he was making. Probably lied to the IRS at the same time period so no way to trace his income till his divorce.

It is an old joke that if the IRS wanted to find out who is NOT reporting income, the IRS would attend divorce and support hearings and find out how much many of these self employed occupations are lying about their income to everyone including the IRS.

I suspect the other side has WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION of the welfare fraud but can not get any solid evidence as the cheating the IRS. IRS regs set forth a seven year statute of limitation if actual failure to report income is involved, otherwise it is only three years. Given the divorce was around 2000 the only records available are the welfare records on the grounds the ex-wife could request those but could not request HIS income tax form. I suspect he filed separately so he did not have to tell her his income. Thus the ex wife could provide the evidence of welfare fraud but NOT tax fraud for she did not sign t g e tax form with the income stated on them and thus would NOT have access to any subsequent tax fraud case.

You can avoid telling your wife your income under IRS Rules if you give up the right to file jointly but welfare REQUIRES ALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD TO BE listed with all of they income. Thus the wife had the right to the WELFARE papers and any rulings on over-payment of welfare but not to any IRS tax fraud charges.

All of the above is speculation but it fits the known facts I.e.

They applied for medicaid and WIC and

The Democratic candidate obtain these records but NOT the IRS records.

[supercats]

33. Just Another Shining Example Of Acceptable Political Republican Behavior...

and if it isn't acceptable today, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will somehow make it acceptable in the not too distant future. People like this must be truly brought to justice some way and some how....

[Diremoon]

34. Projection

I guess that the reason that republicans hate to see anyone receive any help is that they think everyone else is as crooked as they are.

[Mopar151]

39. X1000 n/t

[redruddyred]

35. "at a time when people had to be making less than $19,800 to qualify for government assistance"

standards sure are stricter now. people starve on welfare these days.

[Enthusiast]

37. What does this tell us?

You already know.

[Initech]

41. Another of the "I've got mine, so fuck you" crowd.

[packman]

44. I don't know why everyone is surprised about this

it just fits into the Republican's motto of "MORE,MORE, FOR ME".