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Representative Ron Robinson tells committee a friend was killed over a Bridge Card; lawmakers cite human cost of EBT fraud
Summary
Representative Ron Robinson provided personal testimony describing a friend murdered in November over a Bridge Card dispute, linking the human harm to the committee's earlier technical discussion on EBT fraud prevention.
Representative Ron Robinson told the Oversight Committee on State and Local Public Assistance Programs that a friend was murdered in November in an incident tied to possession of a Bridge Card. Robinson said the victim "was killed over his bridge card" and urged the committee to consider the human harm alongside the technical and financial dimensions of EBT fraud.
Robinson told members the victim had been living with another man with whom he had a "tumultuous relationship" and that the assailant has been convicted and "is gonna be in jail for a long time." Robinson said he believed that stronger safeguards might have prevented the death. He framed his testimony as a reason for urgency in addressing vulnerabilities that allow cards to be bought, sold or misused.
Committee Chair Wolford thanked Robinson for sharing the account and again tied the committee's work on fraud prevention to both taxpayer protection and safeguarding vulnerable recipients. No formal committee action followed Robinson's testimony; the meeting adjourned after his remarks.
Ending: Robinson's account underscored testimony from investigators and vendors about both the financial scale of EBT fraud and the possible real-world harms when cards are diverted from intended recipients.
