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Rep. Roger Williams says billions missing from COVID-era SBA programs, touts whistleblower incentive
Summary
On the Clarity Windows and Doors Newsline, Rep. Roger Williams said oversight of the Small Business Administration has identified large sums missing from pandemic-era programs and described a law enabling tipsters to bring leads to Treasury for a share of recoveries.
Rep. Roger Williams, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and self-described oversight lead on the Small Business Administration, told a radio audience that Congress is pursuing recoveries for pandemic-era payments he described as fraudulent.
“We are missing $22,000,000,000 and $7,900,000,000,” Williams said, adding that the scope of improper payments is large and that some foreign nationals received funds the programs intended for Main Street businesses. He described a bill that created a whistleblower pathway: “If you are a tipster or a whistleblower and you find out where some of this money is, you can bring it to Treasury and actually get a percentage of the money back.” Williams also used a larger figure, saying at one point, “$79,000,000,000,” when speaking generally about the scale of questionable payments from a single agency.
The congressman said recovery efforts focus on the SBA and that officials are trying to find and recoup funds from people who “lied on their application.” He acknowledged that not all funds will be recovered but said public awareness and tiplines are part of the strategy.
The comments were made in a radio interview and do not record a formal congressional vote or new legislative action announced on-air. Williams framed the effort as part of ongoing oversight rather than a final accounting of recovered sums.
