Comrades,
Last week, the VFW
sent a critical Action Alert seeking to stop the House of
Representatives from advancing a toxic bill that would allow Claim
Sharks to put veterans in debt for simply
seeking to access their earned benefits. I want to thank the thousands
of VFW members who have already acted, but I also wanted to take a
moment to highlight for all our leaders why this Action Alert is so
important.
For years, the VFW has warned about the potential forVETERANS to get caught up in the fraudulent schemes that these
Claim Sharks are peddling, encouraging veterans to embellish their
claims to get 100% disability – whether they deserve it or not. In
hearingsas far back as 2022, the VFW warned that when VA caught on, it would be theVETERANS – not the companies – who pay the price.
Well, the day of reckoning is here. Last week, aFederal Grand Jury indicted 10 people with 49 counts of defrauding the government for unearned VA benefits. Out of the 10 indictments, seven wereVETERANS who paid for help filing fraudulent benefit claims. The
Claim Shark, his spouse, and their co-conspirator "on the inside” at VA
were also indicted.
The VFW’s Fact Sheet on Claim Sharks
warns about this scheme, but we also know that these were just small
fish in a much larger industry that is jockeying in Congress and your
state legislatures for legitimacy. Think about
just how much money they have spent to not only infect Washington, DC,
but to also fly to each ofYOUR states, sewing doubt and trying to stall accountability for
their scheme. Since this indictment dropped last week, I hope they are
sleeping uneasy – especially since we know that VA also referred their
companies to both federal and state authorities
for further action. We’ve all had to stare them down face-to-face as
they peddle their lies. Do not let them buy their way out of what’s
coming.
Share the VFW’s Action Alert:https://votervoice.net/VFW/
Campaigns/126981/Respond
Share the DOJ press release on your social media, and tag your Congressional Representatives on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/
share/p/1AUDiK1Ap6/ or on X:https://x.com/VFW_OfficeDC/
status/1925940071682736309
When the VFW sends
messages to Congress, they listen. But we need more of these messages
today than ever before. Share with your Auxiliary, your friends and
family, and anyone who cares
about our veterans.
Follow me!
Al Lipphardt
Commander in Chief
Veterans of Foreign Wars
