Rep. Steve King (R.-Iowa), who serves on both the House Agriculture Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, says he has personally talked to two potential witnesses in recent months who are ready to come forward and speak to a congressional committee—if one decides to actually investigate the matter--about alleged fraud in discrimination-compensation payments that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made to black farmers.
One of these would-be witnesses is a black farmer who was a litigant in the initial class action suit that black farmers brought against the USDA in the 1990s. The other is a current long-time employee of the USDA itself.
King said the black farmer who is prepared to testify told him that some attorneys in the case he was involved in traveled neighborhoods to sign up people up who had never farmed to receive the discrimination-compensation payments the USDA agreed to make in the negotiated settlement of the case. The enlistees even included homeless people this farmer alleged, according to King.
King said he spoke with the farmer for two hours and 20 minutes several weeks ago about the settlement, reached in 1999, that saw the government pay out $1 billion in compensation to 15,640 black farmers who alleged discrimination.
King said that a few months ago he also interviewed a USDA employee of more than 30 years who says he was personally aware of numerous fraudulent claims that were filed seeking compensation under the negotiated settlement. The USDA employee, who spoke to King for about an hour and a half, worked processing USDA farm loans in the South.
King said that both of these witnesses want to remain unnamed for now to protect themselves from retaliation or intimidation, but are willing to come forward and testify under oath for the record if Congress holds hearings on the matter.
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One of these would-be witnesses is a black farmer who was a litigant in the initial class action suit that black farmers brought against the USDA in the 1990s. The other is a current long-time employee of the USDA itself.
King said the black farmer who is prepared to testify told him that some attorneys in the case he was involved in traveled neighborhoods to sign up people up who had never farmed to receive the discrimination-compensation payments the USDA agreed to make in the negotiated settlement of the case. The enlistees even included homeless people this farmer alleged, according to King.
King said he spoke with the farmer for two hours and 20 minutes several weeks ago about the settlement, reached in 1999, that saw the government pay out $1 billion in compensation to 15,640 black farmers who alleged discrimination.
King said that a few months ago he also interviewed a USDA employee of more than 30 years who says he was personally aware of numerous fraudulent claims that were filed seeking compensation under the negotiated settlement. The USDA employee, who spoke to King for about an hour and a half, worked processing USDA farm loans in the South.
King said that both of these witnesses want to remain unnamed for now to protect themselves from retaliation or intimidation, but are willing to come forward and testify under oath for the record if Congress holds hearings on the matter.
There's more here
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