ShareThisEditors:
On Monday, Scripps Howard News Service will move "Stamping Out Fraud," a package of stories, photos and graphics that uncovers an unlocked backdoor that allows stores banned for engaging in food-stamp fraud to slip unnoticed back into the federal program.
Using FOIA queries and public records, SHNS reporter Isaac Wolf has uncovered dozens of examples around the country of food-stamp merchants who, though having been "permanently" disqualified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, remain very much in business.
Even before publication of the project, the USDA opened investigations of alleged violators identified by Wolf, and the agency says it will employ the method Wolf used to flag others in the future.
Included in the package are two stories -- FOODSTAMPS-MAIN; FOODSTAMPS-USDA -- along with an editorial, EDFOODSTAMPS. Also available are four photos and a chart of the number of disqualified merchants, by state.
Reach reporter Isaac Wolf at wolfi(at)shns.com and 202-408-2705; project editor Lisa Hoffman at hoffmanl(at)shns.com and 202-408-2716; and managing editor David Nielsen at nielsend(at)shns.com and 202-408-2746.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
