{"id":2074813,"date":"2023-10-21T05:15:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T09:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-virginia-official-accused-of-approving-34-million-in-unverified-covid-payments\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T05:17:08","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T09:17:08","slug":"west-virginia-official-accused-of-approving-34-million-in-unverified-covid-payments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-virginia-official-accused-of-approving-34-million-in-unverified-covid-payments\/","title":{"rendered":"West Virginia official accused of greenlighting $34M in unverified COVID payments."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwest-virginia-official-accused-of-approving-34-million-in-unverified-covid-payments%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2074813&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Federal Grand Jury Indicts West Virginia Health \u200dOffice Manager Over $34 Million COVID-19 Relief Payments<\/h2>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/we-must-act-matt-gaetz-to-introduce-bill-defunding-jack-smith-investigation-targeting-trump\/\" title=\"'Must Act Now': Gaetz to Introduce Bill Defunding Trump-Targeted Investigation\">federal\u2064 grand jury<\/a> in West Virginia has <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-west-virginia-indictment-98bc93ce2268e1f325f382c0f3c344d3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">indicted<\/a> Timothy Priddy,\u200c a former director of the state Bureau for Public Health&#8217;s Center for Threat Preparedness, for allegedly approving over \u200c$34 \u2064million in Chinese coronavirus (COVID-19) relief payments without\u2062 verifying the delivery of goods \u200band services by the vendor.<\/p>\n<p>The indictment, filed in a federal court in Charleston,\u200c accuses \u2064Priddy of providing false statements to federal\u200d agents in August 2022 and during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sidney-powell-asks-judge-to-dissmiss-her-from-trump-georgia-suit\/\" title=\"Sidney Powell seeks dismissal from Trump's Georgia lawsuit.\">grand jury \u200btestimony<\/a> the following month.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors are investigating\u200b whether \u200dvendors overbilled \u2062or received illegal \u2064funds from the West Virginia Department of Health\u2062 and Human Resources (DHHR) for COVID-19 testing and mitigation services.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/west-virginia-gov-jim-justice-extremely-unwell-after-getting-covid-19-4208641?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice \u2018Extremely Unwell\u2019\u200c After Getting COVID-19<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>1\/12\/2022<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/west-virginia-house-passes-covid-19-vaccine-exemption-bill-4057051?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">West Virginia House Passes \u2063COVID-19 Vaccine Exemption Bill<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>10\/20\/2021<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The vendor in question allegedly invoiced for 518,000 COVID-19 test kits \u2064but provided only 49,000 test results. Priddy\u200c approved 13\u200b invoices \u200dtotaling $34 million.<\/p>\n<p>According to the contract, the vendor was supposed to provide diagnostic testing using\u2062 nasal swabs at various facilities and for emergency medical services workers.<\/p>\n<p>The vendor, whose \u2062identity remains undisclosed, is an out-of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-virginia-official-accused-of-approving-34-million-in-unverified-covid-payments\/\" title=\"West Virginia official accused of greenlighting M in unverified COVID payments.\">-state entity offering test kits<\/a>, lab analysis, and community testing services.<\/p>\n<p>DHHR spokeswoman Jessica \u200bHolstein\u2064 stated that the\u200c department \u200bhas fully cooperated with federal investigators and \u2064terminated its contract with \u200cthe vendor \u2063in October 2022.<\/p>\n<p>West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice did not comment on\u200c the indictment but expressed his willingness to let the courts decide Priddy&#8217;s fate.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Previous\u2064 Controversies<\/h2>\n<p>In January 2021, West Virginia&#8217;s National Guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/dozens-of-west-virginians-mistakenly-given-antibody-treatment-instead-of-covid-19-vaccine-3640200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">admitted<\/a> mistakenly administering Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment instead of\u200b Moderna&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine to 42\u200b individuals.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike many \u200cRepublican states, \u200dWest Virginia took a more liberal approach \u2062to the pandemic, gradually <a href=\"https:\/\/governor.wv.gov\/Pages\/The-Comeback.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reopening<\/a> in April 2020 and avoiding further lockdowns.<\/p>\n<p>In \u2062October 2021, the\u200b governor \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/mkt_app\/west-virginia-house-passes-covid-19-vaccine-exemption-bill_4057051.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">signed<\/a> legislation \u2063allowing workers to receive medical\u200b and religious \u200bexemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates.<\/p>\n<p>West Virginia has recorded approximately 8,250 COVID-19 deaths since March 2020,\u200c with\u200b a mortality rate \u2062of 0.46 percent, according to official statistics. Gov. Justice himself contracted the virus and described his\u200c condition as &#8220;extremely unwell.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What were the consequences of T not delivering the actual products and Priddy approving \u200bpayments without verifying \u200btheir provision?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  T never delivered the actual products. \u2062The indictment states that Priddy approved these\u200b payments \u2064without verifying whether the\u2063 goods and services were actually provided.<\/p>\n<p>This case raises \u200dserious concerns about the misuse of \u200cCOVID-19 relief funds and \u2063the lack of oversight in their distribution. The relief\u2063 payments were intended\u200c to support \u2064testing and\u2062 mitigation efforts\u2062 during the pandemic, but it appears that some individuals took advantage of the situation for personal\u200d gain.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation \u2064by federal prosecutors is\u2062 crucial \u200dto holding accountable those who may have overbilled \u200dor received illegal funds from the West Virginia Department of Health and \u2064Human Resources. It is essential to ensure that the funds allocated for COVID-19 relief\u2062 are\u200b used \u2062appropriately \u2062and effectively to combat \u200bthe\u200c pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Instances like this highlight \u2062the importance\u200c of proper\u200d financial controls and transparency in the distribution of funds. It \u200dis \u2062necessary to put in place robust\u2063 systems to prevent fraud and\u2063 ensure that funds are \u2064allocated to legitimate vendors who provide the necessary goods and services.<\/p>\n<p>This case also underscores the significance of stringent oversight and accountability \u2063mechanisms. It is essential to have mechanisms in \u2064place to monitor and audit the use of funds, especially during times of crisis when there is a higher risk of fraud and \u200dabuse.<\/p>\n<p>As\u200d the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect \u2062communities across the country, it is crucial that resources are utilized effectively to \u2062support\u200b public \u2063health efforts. The allocation\u2062 and distribution of relief funds must be carried out \u2063with\u2063 utmost transparency \u200band\u2062 accountability.<\/p>\n<p>The indictment of Timothy Priddy serves as a reminder that individuals who abuse\u200c their positions of power for \u2062personal\u200d gain will be held\u2062 accountable. Prosecuting \u200dsuch cases not only punishes the wrongdoers but also sends\u200c a strong message that fraud and corruption\u200d will not \u2063be tolerated,\u2064 particularly in times of crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Moving \u200bforward, it is imperative that federal, state, and local \u200dauthorities work \u200btogether to\u2064 strengthen financial controls \u200cand\u2062 oversight mechanisms. Safeguarding public\u2062 funds and\u2062 ensuring their appropriate use \u200cis crucial \u2063to maintaining public trust and effectively \u2064responding to emergencies.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the indictment\u2063 of Timothy Priddy sheds light on the \u2064alleged misuse of\u2062 COVID-19 relief funds in West Virginia. This case \u2064serves as\u2064 a \u2064reminder of the importance of robust financial controls, transparency, and accountability in the \u200bdistribution of public funds. It is\u2064 crucial that authorities continue to investigate \u200band prosecute such cases to \u2063maintain\u2062 public\u2062 trust \u200dand effectively combat the ongoing pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>federal court in West Virginia, accuses a state health office manager of approving $34 million in COVID-19 relief payments to a private company without verifying if they fulfilled their contractual obligations. The grand jury indictment was filed on a Tuesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2379,"featured_media":2074814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2074813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2379"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2074813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2074814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2074813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2074813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2074813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}