BONUS POD: CA Fraud Explosion 'Shooting Fish w Dynamite' plus 'Fauci Shaped COVID Narrative' Whistleblower Claims

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode Title: BONUS POD: CA Fraud Explosion 'Shooting Fish w Dynamite' plus 'Fauci Shaped COVID Narrative' Whistleblower Claims
Date: May 14, 2026
Hosts: Ben Ferguson (acting anchor for this episode), Senator Ted Cruz (not present in dialogue), Dr. Oz (guest), featured guests include Senator Rand Paul and a CIA Whistleblower
Theme:
A deep dive into two major headline stories: the Trump administration’s large-scale crackdown on government fraud—especially in SNAP and Medicare programs, with a spotlight on California’s home healthcare and hospice fraud—and explosive whistleblower testimony regarding Dr. Anthony Fauci's influence over the COVID-19 lab-leak narrative within the intelligence community.

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Episode Overview

Ben Ferguson leads listeners through the two top stories dominating political news:

1. The administration’s aggressive measures to uncover massive fraud within welfare and healthcare programs—with emphasis on the scale and methods of the schemes, especially in California hospice care.
2. Revelations from a CIA whistleblower that detail how Dr. Anthony Fauci’s input may have steered the intelligence community’s COVID-19 origin findings away from a lab-leak conclusion, and the political implications of an empty Democratic bench during the hearing.

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1. Government Fraud Crackdown: Scope and Strategy

Key Discussion Points

• Fraud Task Force Discoveries

  • J.D. Vance is leading the Trump administration's anti-fraud efforts.
  • The task force found that 186,000+ dead people were reportedly still receiving SNAP (food stamp) benefits, and over 400,000 people had duplicate SNAP accounts, essentially “double dipping” (05:17).
  • Much of this money is unrecoverable and has been siphoned fraudulently for years.

• California Hospice Fraud:

  • Dr. Oz joins the discussion to reveal “astounding” levels of fraud in California:
    • A third of all U.S. hospice programs are based in Los Angeles alone—a statistical impossibility given the demographic reality.
    • Up to half of the hospices in the LA area are suspected fraudulent.
    • 800 hospices suspended, blocking $1.4 billion in Medicaid payments (07:43).
  • The government’s move: Deferring $1.3 billion in new Medicaid reimbursements and implementing a nationwide moratorium on new hospice and home healthcare licenses (09:25).

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Oz [07:43]:
  “A third of all hospices, a third of all these programs in the entire country are in Los Angeles … There are not that many people dying in Los Angeles.”
• Dr. Oz [08:27]:
  “We believe that at least half of the hospices in the entire area around Los Angeles are fraudulent.”
• Dr. Oz [08:47]:
  “800 hospices that last year charged the federal taxpayer $1.4 billion will no longer be paid. … We have less than 20 who have complained. We're not even sure those are legitimate. It’s crickets out there.”

Political Fallout and Framing

• Republican Viewpoint:
  • The crackdown is fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise to attack waste, fraud, and abuse.
  • Voters support these efforts, seeing taxpayer accountability as critical (09:25).
  • Vance is linking fraud to border security and tax hikes—posing a challenge to Democrats.
• Democratic Criticism:
  • Accusations that the administration is being heavy-handed and could harm legitimate recipients in the rush to judgment.

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2. Fauci and the Intelligence Community: The COVID Narrative

Key Discussion Points

• CIA Whistleblower Testimony:
  • A whistleblower tells Congress that most CIA scientists believed the lab-leak theory for COVID-19’s origin, but their findings were overruled or neutralized after input from Dr. Anthony Fauci (11:30).
  • Fauci allegedly “curated” experts and influenced internal analyses, gently steering them away from the lab-leak theory.

Fauci’s Influence Detailed

• Direct Engagement:

  • On Feb 3, 2020, and June 4, 2021, Fauci had notable contacts with the intelligence community (13:27).
  • He suggested which experts should be consulted—many of whom later co-authored the influential "proximal origin" paper.
  • Fauci’s recommendations were “happily pursued” by intelligence analysts, sometimes against the advice of CIA officers who suggested alternative, independent review.

• Evidence Suppressed:

  • As late as August 12, 2021, CIA considered officially calling COVID a lab leak, but that position changed abruptly a few days later (17:08).
  • The whistleblower describes evidence that Fauci's involvement “significantly influenced” the change in position.

Notable Quotes

• Sen. Rand Paul [12:32]:
  “So when they had this study, they had CIA scientists telling them look, the evidence, the scientific evidence looks like it came from the lab. But then they brought in Anthony Fauci … Is it your opinion that Anthony Fauci was able to overrule the scientist or get NIC to conclude somehow that there wasn't a conclusion to be had?”

• CIA Whistleblower [17:08]:
  “It was significantly influenced by Anthony Fauci's injecting himself into the IC.”

• CIA Whistleblower [16:37]:
  “That was one example of an email. No one laid it out quite that clearly. You're piecing it together. … It was more subtle than that. Nobody said this is happening and, unfortunately, I think they probably should have.”

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3. Partisan Divide and Congressional Absence

• Democratic Lawmakers’ Absence:

  • Not a single Democrat attended the COVID-19 whistleblower hearing (17:36).
  • Fox News and Ben Ferguson highlight the empty Democratic seats, suggesting this is intentional avoidance.
  • CIA whistleblower expresses his disappointment:
    "Of course I wish that they were. I mean you want everyone to know what he has to say." (18:07)

• Media and Political Response:

  • Ferguson criticizes Democrats for failing to “show accountability” and for not wanting to hear potentially damaging information about Fauci’s role and the COVID narrative (18:40).

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Massive Hospice Fraud Discovery Recap: [07:43–09:25]
  Dr. Oz details the consequences—immediate suspension of 800 facilities and a nationwide moratorium.
• “Shooting Fish with Dynamite” Analogy: [05:17]
  Ferguson describes the ease of uncovering substantial federal fraud—suggesting it’s only the beginning.
• Fauci’s Influence and Timeline: [13:27, 17:08]
  CIA whistleblower walks through the dates and manner in which Fauci inserted subject matter experts and the timeline of changed analysis.
• Dramatic Visual of Congressional Hearing: [18:07]
  Fox News notes empty Democratic seats, reinforcing the sense of political dodging.

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Conclusion

This episode pulls back the curtain on two major themes:

• The magnitude and pervasiveness of federal welfare and healthcare fraud, and the Trump administration’s unprecedented response, especially targeting large-scale institutional scams in California.
• Whistleblower allegations suggesting Dr. Anthony Fauci’s involvement shifted the U.S. intelligence community’s official assessment of the COVID-19 origin away from a lab leak. The lack of Democratic attendance at the related hearing is highlighted as political avoidance and dereliction.

Expect the issues of fraud, accountability, and the COVID origin debate to intensify as midterms approach.

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Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Dr. Oz]

Want to drive CarMax 800 hospices that last year charged the federal taxpayer $1.4 billion will no longer be paid. Mr. Vice President, if your core business was shut down by the federal government, would you call, you would call crickets? We have less than 20 who have complained. We're not even sure Those are legitimate. 800 hospices shut down and we're not hearing much to say it's crickets out there.

[Ben Ferguson]

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

Good Thursday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got two big stories for you. First up, J.D. vance, making government fraud a front and center issue. And the numbers being uncovered are staggering. Vance not only is saying that the fraud task force has found hundreds of thousands of dead people getting food stamp benefits and now also shocking numbers of massive Medicaid fraud going to home health care and hospice providers. Also, there was a major hearing from a CIA whistleblower on Capitol Hill and not a single Democrat was there for the testimony. What are they running away from and what did the whistleblower have to say? We have it all for you. I want to take a quick moment and talk to you about an incredible organization and it is called Compassion International and how you can get involved.

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Love, generosity and compassion. We say those words all the time and they sound good, they feel good. But here's the truth. Those words don't mean anything unless they turn into action. And right now, not later today, not tomorrow, there's a child in the world who doesn't know if they'll eat, if they'll have a chance to learn or if there's any hope at all. And while we're all busy, life keeps moving forward. But that child is waiting. This is where you come in. With Compassion International, you have the chance to change a child's future not just with words, not with promises, but with real help that provides food, education and hope through local churches and people already in their community. Put your words into action and and join me. Introduce a child to a loving heavenly father [e-mail] that's compassion.com it's the 47

[Ben Ferguson]

Morning Update and it starts right now.

Story number one, when Donald Trump got

elected, he made it very clear that waste, fraud and abuse were going to be something he was going to focus on. Then he brought in Elon Musk and Doge. Well, they're not done. In fact, apparently they're just getting started.

[Compassion International Spokesperson]

Now.

[Ben Ferguson]

J.D. vance is now leading the Trump administration's anti fraud crackdown and we've got major new developments, including the fact that Vance now says the administration's fraud task force has found already 186,000 plus dead people allegedly still receiving SNAP food stamp benefits. Now, to be clear, we can't crawl back this money. These funds are being stolen and they're being used by people that are clearly not dead, but alive. And they're using dead people's identity to get the funds. Now, that obviously should make you angry. And they're expecting to find more than the basically 200, 000 dead people who are getting money every single month from you, the taxpayer. Now, the task force also says that more than 400,000 people were actually defrauding the government, receiving duplicate SNAP benefits at the same time, meaning that they had two applications that were approved. Double dipping, getting twice as much as they should normally get. Now, if you are double dipping, shouldn't you go to jail? Shouldn't you lose SNAP benefits indefinitely? Shouldn't there be a major consequence for stealing from the U.S. government? Well, right now, apparently there's not much of a deterrent at all. Now, the White House is trying to change that, framing this as a massive taxpayer accountability effort. They're also arguing that Americans are tired of seeing waste, fraud and abuse in all of our federal programs. Now, the vice President has now called the finding of fraud in the federal government like fishing in a barrel with dynamite. The the administration is now escalating beyond rhetoric. They are now threatening as well to withhold Medicaid funding from states that failed to aggressively investigate fraud. The biggest move came, and it involved California, where the Trump administration has now deferred roughly 1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements amid massive allegations of widespread fraud in hospice and home health care programs. Just how bad is it? Dr. Oz explaining it from Washington as they announced the new program initiative.

[Dr. Oz]

Unfortunately, we have a reality that, again, we got to face a third of all hospices, a third of all these programs in the entire country are in Los Angeles. Ask yourself, how is that possible? It's not. There are not that many people dying in Los Angeles. We're not talking about California, just Los Angeles. So Kim and the team with Jeanina Uugo and a bunch of other great folks went through the list of all the people, and we believe that at least half of the hospices in the entire area around Los Angeles are fraudulent. And Today we announce 800 of those hospices have been suspended. That's getting us, you know, close to where we think we should be. 800 hospices that last year charged the federal taxpayer $1.4 billion will no longer be paid. Mr. Vice President, if your core business was shut down by the federal government, would you call. You would call crickets? We have less than 20 who have complained. We're not even sure Those are legitimate. 800 hospices shut down and we're not hearing much. It's like it's crickets out there. So we believed we're on the right path here. Next is a nationwide moratorium on all new hospice and home health care. Why is that possible? Because when we squeeze the balloon in California and slow their growth of hospice and now take away 800 the payments, 800 hospices. We know what those fraudsters do. They move to nearby Nevada next door. Nevada has a sevenfold increase in hospice already. Arizona, Texas, they're moving across the country. So we've today announcing a moratorium nationally. There will be no new hospices or home health care open in this country. You can, if you have the program now, you can keep it. You can go to ones that already exist. We're not taking away any services, but there will be no new ones, licenses granted until we can figure out a better way of working across government.

[Ben Ferguson]

One of the most interesting things you just heard there from Dr. Oz is the fact that he said, we're shutting it down nationwide because we know that when they get busted in la, when they get busted in California, the people that are committing the fraud, they just go to another state and they open up there. Now, Republicans, by the way, are arguing this is exactly what voters voted for, what they wanted. Someone finally going through federal programs line by line, asking where taxpayer money is actually going. And we're finding out just how much fraud there is. Democrats, however, are losing their minds right now, warning the administration is overreaching, gonna make mistakes, and rushing investigations, and then people are going to get hurt. Now the question is, where are the American people on this issue? Well, politically, this is clearly a winning issue for Republicans because in new polling, overwhelmingly the majority of Americans agree that fraud should be rooted out regardless of the party who's in charge. Now, Vance is also trying to find more fraud, directly tying it also to border security and government spending, arguing Americans shouldn't be asked to pay more taxes, while billions may be lost through abuse and corruption. Dead people shouldn't be getting food stamps. And the American people agree with that statement. Taxpayers are finally asking where the money actually went and there should be people that go to jail. This is clearly a war on fraud, waste and abuse from the Trump administration. And the reality is Washington ignored this for years. Why? Because many of the people that were getting the money were giving kickbacks. The political campaigns of those that look the other way. And that would be the Democratic Party. Thank goodness JD Vance is betting Americans care more about protecting taxpayer dollars than protecting bureaucracies. And politically that might be an extremely smart move ahead of the midterms.

Now story number two.

CIA whistleblower went before Capitol Hill yesterday revealing that despite a majority of CIA scientists concluding overwhelmingly that Covid leaked from a lab in Wuhan, Anthony Fauci was able to convince high ranking intel officials to change their assessment from a lab leak to a neutral idea. Why? Because they need to cover up the narrative that the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was tied directly to Anthony Fauci was actually involved. What's even more shocking than that is the CIA whistleblower also said that the CIA is still blocking full declassification of COVID documents. Why? Is it to protect Fauci or is it to protect China? I want you to hear the back and forth from Senator Rand Paul and the CIA whistleblower explaining exactly just how bad it really is.

[Senator Rand Paul]

But what I think is of importance that's new today is that your testimony is that the CIA scientists were concluding that it was lab. But then when this, There was a 90 day study in 2021 and this study was done by Nic. Led by Nic. Tell us what NIC is again.

[CIA Whistleblower]

It's the National Intelligence Council and individuals responsible for writing various WMD and, and bio related issues led to it.

[Senator Rand Paul]

So when they had this study, they had CIA scientists telling them look, the evidence, the scientific evidence looks like it came from the lab. But then they brought in Anthony Fauci and is it your opinion that Anthony Fauci was able to overrule the scientist or get NIC to conclude somehow that there wasn't a conclusion to be had Here we're going to be neutral contradicting what the scientists were telling them.

[CIA Whistleblower]

So there's two questions there and I want to break them up into two. One is where were the injection points Dr. Anthony Fauci, where did Dr. Anthony Fauci and when did he inject himself into the ic? And the other half of that question, if I'm, if I'm, and I don't want to extrapolate too much here is okay, what happened with why was there a change in analysis? So I'll start with the. If it's okay, Dr. Paul. Sure. Senator, I'll start with Dr. Anthony Fauci. There were two instances on 3 February 2020 and 4 June 2021, Anthony Fauci had contact with the interagency. And what, how to sort of broadly generalize this is that that contact was happily pursued within the ic. They wanted that contact and he provided a curated list of subject matter experts, which coincidentally wrote the proximal origin of SARS cov2. So it's not like he came in and said, you have to do X, Y and Z, he provided recommendations. It's when you look at, when you look at what has already been publicly released about Dr. Fauci and then what you're seeing under the curtain at the ic, where you realize, okay, there is a narrative that was being generated by his contact, not just with experts here in the United States, but experts in Australia and the uk and that's the public facing piece. And, you know, he had tried to sort of keep his hands clear of I didn't have anything to do with the proximal origin of SARS CoV2. But in the meantime, he's pushing those authors and individuals that have been in his orbit into the IC as experts. And I'll jump to June 2021. We, as the IC at the NIC, happily pursued those recommendations. And in one email, which I'll describe to you, the person in charge of leading the 90 day study, you know, he introduced himself to the community on what they were supposed to be doing. And then the community said, he said, listen, we've got these people we should be talking to. And another very senior NIC officer sent a direct email to him saying, hey, considering that Dr. Fauci is a public health expert, are you sure we should be relying on this? Shouldn't we have a separate set? And in this instance, the individual responded, no, in this case, Dr. Anthony Fauci is a subject matter expert. However, that's directly contradicting his public testimony of being a subject matter expert.

[Senator Rand Paul]

Part of the job in intelligence, when you interview someone is assessing their truthfulness, their potential biases or conflicts of interest. Did anyone ever bring up that Anthony Fauci approved the research that went on in Wuhan and that it might not be in his interest for the conclusion. Conclusion to be that it came from a lab that he had funded, that there might be a conflict that was. Did any everybody ever bring up that he might not be an objective witness?

[CIA Whistleblower]

That was one example of an email. No one laid it out quite that clearly. You're piecing it together. We were piecing it together from multiple emails from multiple agencies, multiple documents it was, it was, it was more subtle than that. Nobody said this is happening and unfortunately I think they probably should have. It was, it was all out there.

[Senator Rand Paul]

But your conclusion is that changing from the scientific consensus of it being from a lab to a neutral position by the CIA was significantly influenced by Anthony Fauci.

[CIA Whistleblower]

It was significantly influenced by Anthony Fauci's injecting himself into the ic. And to go to the second part of your question about what happened, particularly during the 90 day study, we have documentation that shows that as of August 12th, the CIA was considering calling this a lab leak. August 12th of 2021. And then that changed on August 17th of 2021.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now what's even more shocking about the hearing and what you just heard, there is not a single Democrat heard any of what you just heard. Why? Because apparently not a single Democrat showed up to the Senate hearing today where the CIA whistleblower was testifying about the COVID cover up. Could it be maybe because they were all involved in it too? Listen to how Fox News explain no Democrats in attendance in this picture because

[Fox News Reporter]

just a few minutes ago, just shy of the top of the hour, you could see over the left she shoulder of Senator Ron Johnson the empty seats of Democrats. And we can, I mean look at that room. And even James Erdman, who is the whistleblower witness today was asked about and I believe it was Senator Yes. Bernie Moreno who asked him this. How does that make you feel knowing that those Democrats aren't there? And he says that of course I wish that they were. I mean you want everyone to know what he has to say.

[Ben Ferguson]

It really is amazing to know that you have a CIA whistleblower coming forward on the issue of COVID It involves Anthony Fauci, Democrats, God. And none of the Democrats will show up to hear what the whistleblower has to say. There should be massive accountability for that. And also a lot more questions that should be asked of Democratic lawmakers of why you didn't show up.

Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. And for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow.

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