Treasury Dept. Closes More Loopholes That Gave Illegal Aliens Your Tax Dollars

We are witnessing a well-coordinated, multi-pronged strategy targeting the incentives that draw illegal aliens to the United States.

El-Sayed's mom worked for designated terror group that financed bin Laden ahead of 9/11: Report



Abdul El-Sayed, the Islamic Democrat hoping to win an open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, is apparently not the only radical in his family.

Fatten Fathy Elkomy, El-Sayed's birth mother, long worked for an Islamic organization that was identified by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2004 as a specially designated global terrorist organization, reported the Midwesterner.

IARA may have 'provided direct financial support' to Osama bin Laden and, by extension, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Treasury Department stated in a release at the time of the terror designation that the international offices of the Islamic African Relief Agency, or IARA, may have "provided direct financial support" to Osama bin Laden and, by extension, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

"IARA is identified as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) formerly affiliated with Maktab Al-Khidamat (MK), which was co-founded and financed by UBL [Osama bin Laden] and is the precursor organization of al Qaida," the department said.

"IARA, MK, and UBL commingled funds and cooperated closely in the raising and expenditure of funds. IARA engaged in a joint program with an institute controlled by UBL that was involved in providing assistance to Taliban fighters."

The Treasury Department alleged that IARA leaders — who secured agreements with the U.S. Agency for International Development totaling over $1.3 million until USAID terminated those agreements in 1999 — not only hobnobbed with terrorists in Sudan and various Middle Eastern locales but provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to bin Laden two years before the 9/11 attacks via its overseas branches.

Although she was reportedly never charged with a crime or named as a co-conspirator, Elkomy's name appears dozens of times in a list of exhibits filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in a case against the IARA that resulted in guilty pleas from two of the organization's board members.

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Sarah Rice/Getty Images

The descriptions reference her alleged involvement with multiple wire transfers, several calls between 1999 and 2002, and a request for $24,607.45 for the IARA's Iraq office that was allegedly sent to Mubarak Hamed.

Hamed, a native of Sudan who served as the executive director of IARA, pleaded guilty in 2010 for his role in a conspiracy to illegally transfer over $1 million to Iraq in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Blaze News reached out to Elkomy and the El-Sayed campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Greg Manz, Michigan GOP senior communications adviser, told Blaze News:

This report is deeply troubling. To that end, Abdul El-Sayed has yet to adequately address these reported terrorist connections.

Why hasn’t Abdul unequivocally denounced his mother’s alleged connections to groups associated with the same terrorist groups directly responsible for 9/11? And why does Abdul continue to campaign with communist influencers who think America deserved 9/11?

Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly surrounds himself with extreme, troublesome figures and consistently refuses to clearly denounce their horrific actions, vile statements, and alarming associations.

Elkomy previously denied connections between the IARA and terrorists, telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2004, according to the Midwesterner, "I’ve been working there serving orphans and children with at least one deceased parent, and it breaks my heart they’re not going to get any help."

The former IARA member has apparently been following her son's political journey.

When asked who he had heard from after securing the Democratic nomination, El-Sayed told the New York Times earlier this month, "My mom." El-Sayed has also referenced his mother's psychiatric work on the campaign trail.

The Democratic nominee's campaign site does not mention his birth mother in his bio, noting that "Abdul was raised by his father, Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant, and his stepmom, Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County, Michigan, since the 1800s."

El-Sayed, whose parents are both Egyptian immigrants, also has a radical half-sister.

Eman Abdelhadi, El-Sayed's half-sister who works as a professor at the University of Chicago, was arrested last year for allegedly spitting on an Illinois state trooper outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

Fox News Digital recently reported that Abdelhadi, whose so-called scholarship appears to revolve around gender and Islam, also delivered an "October 7 blessing" on the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

After stating "Allahu Akbar" and noting that "that phrase means God is greater," Abdelhadi said in a video shared on Instagram on Oct. 7, 2024, that "Allahu Akbar" is a phrase she had been "thinking about a lot over the last year, because it's a phrase that reminds us that no matter how great the brutality, the oppression, the intensity of what we're going through, the horizon of justice is just around the corner."

"We have an imperative to not just imagine a better future, but to build one together," added Abdelhadi. "I’ll see you on the streets."

The El-Sayed campaign said of Abdelhadi's radicalism, "Abdul loves his sister and also disagrees with her on a number of political positions and the rhetoric she's chosen to use, including on foreign policy."

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Here’s How The Great American State Fair Is Creating Little Patriots

Despite criticism, the Great American State Fair is doing exactly what it was intended to do: create lifelong memories in little patriots.

Scott Bessent BEATS DOWN Democrat over IRS audit immunity: 'Short on facts, long on hot air!'



Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent battled it out with Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez of California during a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee Thursday.

Sanchez accused Bessent of being complicit with what she called corruption of the Trump administration when they entered a shouting match at the end of her comments.

'The congresswoman is slanderous. She has nothing but the unsubstantiated opinions, and I will not stand for that!'

She asked him about whether he had reviewed the decision to give the president's family complete immunity from being audited by the Internal Revenue Service.

"Why are you allowing President Trump and his family to have complete immunity from being audited?” Sanchez asked.

"Since you're a lawyer, you will understand that the U.S. Treasury and the IRS are represented by the Justice Department and the acting attorney general," Bessent responded.

Sanchez interrupted and accused Bessent of refusing to answer questions about the immunity order.

"I'm curious to know who counts as Trump's ‘family’ for the purposes of this immunity. Is it his children, his in-laws, his grandchildren, his second or third cousin, his great-great-grandchildren? Do you know the answer to that question, Mr. Secretary?" she asked.

"Again, I imagine you have the Justice Department phone number. I suggest you call them," Bessent responded.

"I'm not the one that runs the Department of the Treasury or that oversees what is happening with this immunity that has been granted," Sanchez fired back.

"I'm not the one either," Bessent said. "We follow the instructions of our lawyers, and we obey the law."

"I hope that you're proud of your performance today," Sanchez said.

"Well, I hope you get some social media clips!" Bessent said to Sanchez.

"I think it's pretty safe to say that this is probably the most corrupt Treasury Department in our nation's history!" Sanchez said.

"I am going to have to take exception to that. That is a slanderous statement!" Bessent hollered.

"While you dance around questions to protect Trump, Americans are suffering in Trump's spiraling economy. Inflation is now raising faster than average hourly wages, gas prices are at an all-time high with the war in Iran," Sanchez said.

"Nah!" Bessent interjected.

"The price of groceries has risen 3.2% over the past years, and prices on most goods have gone up because of Trump's tariffs," she continued. "So I don't see how you can call that anything other than a failure of the most corrupt Treasury Department in history."

Bessent was given the chance to respond after Sanchez's time was over.

"The congresswoman is slanderous. She has nothing but the unsubstantiated opinions, and I will not stand for that!" Bessent hollered.

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"There is nothing corrupt. We move at the highest levels, and just because she cannot get the answer she wants, if she would like to give me facts — she seems ... short on facts, long on hot air. And I will not stand for that," he added.

"It's a disgrace to make a remark like that," Bessent concluded.

The IRS audit immunity order was announced by the Justice Department as a part of the $20 billion lawsuit from the president over the leak of his IRS documents.

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DOT's Duffy earns high praise from American truckers for turning industry concerns into real policy wins



Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's visit to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in late March drew overwhelmingly positive reactions from truckers and other industry professionals.

"Truckers are the BACKBONE of our great country," Duffy wrote in a post on social media. "I am so impressed by every one of them at the Mid-America Trucking Show! I promise to fight as hard as the truckers do to MAKE TRUCKING GREAT AGAIN."

'We have a long way to go and a lot of work ahead, but for the first time in a long time, it feels like the right people are finally listening.'

A press release from MATS following the completion of its event, which over 53,000 people attended, called Duffy's participation "a major highlight," noting that the secretary "met with industry leaders, exhibitors, and professional drivers to discuss the importance of trucking to the nation's economy, supply chain, and infrastructure."

"The visit underscored the federal government's recognition of trucking as a critical pillar of American commerce and mobility," MATS wrote.

Duffy delivered a speech at the event, promising to advocate for American truckers.

"You make up what is great about America. The work you do, makes our country great," he told attendees.

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Sean Duffy. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Industry professionals like Danielle Chaffin shared their video interviews with Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs, who spoke to truckers on the show floor.

"So you guys do pay attention to us?" Chaffin asked Duffy and Barrs.

"100%," Duffy responded.

"Even when I think we're doing great things, I get a little hard time from those on X. But I do appreciate the feedback, and we see it's a very loud voice — a vocal industry. And I think that's fair because, if you've been forgotten, you felt like you're screaming into the storm. Well, you're not screaming into the storm anymore because we're actually listening, and you see the work that we're doing."

"We are watching because that's some of the ways that we can actually make some of the changes that we're making is because of X and people on social media," Barrs told Chaffin.

“This industry has spent years shouting into a void. Finally, years later, our voices and concerns are being heard,” Chaffin told Blaze News. “Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs stood in a room full of truckers and treated them as the experts they are. They spoke with genuine concern and care for the people who actually move this country. They made it very clear they are paying attention to the operators, the owners, and those of us who have been sounding the alarm on X.”

“We have a long way to go and a lot of work ahead, but for the first time in a long time, it feels like the right people are finally listening,” Chaffin continued. “Not only are they listening, but they are taking action. We are making progress to save the American trucking industry!”

Charles Gracey, who hosts SiriusXM's "Trucking Sense" and FreightWaves' "Brake Check," gave Duffy and Barrs high praise for their attendance at MATS.

"When an administration is truly paying attention to the people it represents, there will be signs," Gracey wrote. "One of those signs is showing up where those people actually are, and that is exactly what U.S. @USDOT @SecDuffy and @FMCSA @BarrsDerek did at the Mid-America @truckingshow in #Louisville."

"What makes it even more powerful is that they did not just show up for optics. They showed up, they engaged, and they took time to hear our thoughts about the industry we know and love, and the very same industry they say they are working to protect for us and for the future of trucking," Gracey added.

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Sean Duffy. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Duffy and Barrs were joined at MATS by Dalilah Coleman, a young girl who sustained critical and life-altering injuries as a result of a 2024 car wreck involving an illegal alien truck driver.

Dalilah's Law, a bill named after Coleman, was introduced in the Senate in February. If passed, it would prohibit states from issuing commercial driver's licenses to illegal aliens, allowing them to be issued only to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and holders of specific work visas. Additionally, the bill mandates the revocation of existing CDLs held by individuals who do not meet these eligibility criteria.

"Proud to see Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy standing in the gap for Dalilah at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY," the American Truckers United wrote. "Stand with Secretary Duffy. Stand with Dalilah. Pass Dalilah's Law!"

Justin Martin, a trucking industry professional who goes by SuperTrucker on X, called on government leaders to attend MATS more frequently.

"DOT/FMCSA leadership should be at MATS every year to hear from drivers in the industry directly. Thanks for coming out this year," Martin wrote.

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Whistleblowers could receive big reward for exposing fraudsters stealing American tax dollars



Whistleblowers who report financial fraud could receive a significant payout from the Trump administration.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new program on Monday to pay eligible whistleblowers for providing actionable tips related to fraud, money laundering, sanctions violations, and other national security laws.

'The scale of this is unbelievable.'

The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network submitted a proposed rule to implement the new program.

Fraud whistleblowers could receive 10% to 30% of the fines imposed on the criminals they report.

This latest announcement is part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on fraud, an issue that has remained in the national spotlight following journalist Nick Shirley's investigative reporting in Minnesota and California.

"As promised, Treasury will reward whistleblowers who provide timely, actionable information on fraud, sanctions violations, and other significant illicit finance activity," Bessent stated. "President Trump has been clear that Americans have a right to know that their tax dollars are not being diverted to fund acts of global terror or to fund luxury cars for fraudsters. At Treasury, we follow the money, and we strongly encourage individuals to come forward with credible tips to help safeguard our financial system."

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Scott Bessent. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The Treasury Department has already received over 700 leads, according to Bessent.

During an interview with Fox News, Bessent explained that "a lot" of the financial fraud could be attributed to COVID relief.

"Many of the agencies under the Biden administration gutted their fraud departments, their fraud detection, or took down the fraud detection to get the money out quickly for COVID relief. But they never brought back the guardians of our money. So we have to have integrity in these programs," Bessent told the news outlet.

Bessent estimated that the federal government may be able to recoup hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds.

"The scale of this is unbelievable," Bessent said.

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Vice President JD Vance has been tapped to lead the administration's new Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it had suspended 70 hospice and home health providers as part of its work with the task force to identify high-risk providers.

"Vice President Vance looks forward to carrying out the president's war on fraud," a spokesperson for Vance previously told Blaze News. "The American people deserve better than being ripped off by people who hate this country, and the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud will ensure that essential taxpayer-funded services are used to support the hardworking Americans who rely on them, instead of being used by fraudsters and criminals."

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US military sets sights on 'narco-terrorists' in another South American country after successful drug bust



While many people have had their attention turned to the Middle East in the past week, the United States military has continued its mission of protecting the western hemisphere, launching joint operations in another South American country after arresting Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela in early January.

On Tuesday, U.S. forces launched joint operations against designated terrorist organizations in Ecuador, U.S. Southern Command announced in a press release.

'Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere.'

U.S. Southern Command described the operations as a "powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism."

"Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere," the press release added.

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Drugs seized in the joint operation carried out since January of last year. U.S. Embassy of Ecuador

“We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country," said Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command.

The press release included video footage from the operation. The video shows some shots of helicopters lifting off, and some aerial footage shows a group of men gathering around or loading into a helicopter.

The announcement of the operations in Ecuador was nearly contemporaneous with another large drug bust that resulted from the cooperation of U.S., Ecuadorian, and Europol forces, according to the U.S. Embassy of Ecuador.

This joint operation, which had reportedly been carried out since January 2025, reportedly successfully dismantled the transnational drug trafficking organization Hernán Ruilova Barzola, linked to the Los Lobos cartel. Los Lobos emerged as Ecuador's largest drug trafficking organization in recent years following the assassination of the leader of a rival gang in 2020. By June 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Los Lobos as the country was engulfed in increasing violence, according to a press release at the time.

Authorities successfully apprehended 16 suspects, including a high-value target, and "significant quantities of cocaine and cash."

The embassy lauded the conclusion of the operation as an "important milestone in disrupting the operations and finances of narcoterrorists, directly contributing to the security of the United States."

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