Federal COVID-19 aid used to buy riot gear, 'civil unrest equipment' (Minnesota, Chicago)

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://kstp.com/news/5-investigates-federal-covid-19-aid-used-to-buy-riot-gear-civil-unrest-equipment-february-17-2021-/6016041/

As federal relief money flowed into local governments to help cover the costs of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, several police departments in Minnesota spent emergency funding on riot gear, Tasers, body cameras and other "civil unrest equipment."

5 INVESTIGATES identified the purchases in a review of more than 1,400 spending reports from cities, towns and counties, which detailed their use of funding received through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Those expenses could potentially be flagged during upcoming audits since the federal government made it clear that such funding could only be used to cover "expenditures due to the public health emergency."

"There are going to be scenarios that probably are troublesome," former state auditor Rebecca Otto said. "The general rule that I always said to local officials was, 'Make sure it passes the smell test.'"

https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-chicago-lightfoot-covid-19-police-spending-20210217-uohx77y36nblrf2526whoedkgi-story.html

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot spent $281.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money on police payroll

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration spent $281.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money on Chicago Police Department personnel costs, prompting an angry response Wednesday from activists and some aldermen.

The number came to light as Lightfoot seeks City Council approval to transfer about $65 million in unspent federal COVID-19 money into the 2021 budget, after the Biden administration waived Federal Emergency Management Agency local funding matches and extended the deadline to spend federal dollars until the end of the year.

Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, last summer called on the mayor to put federal money toward housing relief or other programs to help struggling residents. He said he and other aldermen heard from residents that they didn’t want federal money targeted toward police payroll.

“We asked for assurances they wouldn’t spend it all on police,” La Spata said Wednesday. “That’s the last thing people wanted, to infuse hundreds of millions more dollars into the Police Department right now.”

I'd be surprised if it didn't happen elsewhere. Grifters gonna grift.

[Demsrule86]

1. I a m not a fan of Lori Lightfoot.

I don't understand her actions.

[CrispyQ]

2. I wish the media would focus on this:

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. Lunchtime kick.

[crickets]

4. K&R for visibility.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. Evening kick.