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Public commenter alleges county welfare department involved in 'EBT scam'; board takes no formal action
Summary
At the Jan. 5 Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting, Thomasina Dorica Rivers accused the county welfare department of participating in an "EBT scam," said she has documentation and a pending federal lawsuit, and requested to be placed on a future agenda; the board did not record any follow-up action during the session.
During public presentations at the Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 5, Thomasina Dorica Rivers said she had documents alleging the county welfare department "has been scamming" her and others and accused the department of participating in an "EBT scam." Rivers told the board she had been denied benefits unless she refilled paperwork, said she has been "rejected since 2016" and said a federal lawsuit has been filed though it is "not yet filed publicly." She asked the board to place the matter on a future agenda and provided copies of the materials to the clerk.
Rivers said she was "going to try to find out how I can get on to the agenda" and that she had made eight copies of the documents for the record. The board acknowledged her comments but did not announce any investigation, referral, or staff assignment during the Jan. 5 session.
Other public commenters included Charles Shin, who identified himself as a "retired marine, concerned citizen" and thanked the board for 2025 while expressing support for the incoming chair, and Lisa Pollard, who offered personal thanks to a person she named as "Leticia."
