Emily Jashinsky

In fiscal year 2024, the program handing out $40 billion in awards.

In June, one government official and three executives pleading guilty to a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 contracts totaling more than $550 million.

Prosecutors saying the government official sidestepped the competitive bidding process to steer lucrative contracts under the 8A program to executives who were paying him kickbacks.

SBA Administrator Kelly Leffler ordering a review of the program to identify similar examples of misconduct.

In October, investigative journalist James O'Keefe releasing a video further exposing alleged fraud within the program.

The director of contracts for an 8A company explaining to O'Keefe how businesses in the program are able to win the contracts, then pass off the majority of the work through subcontractors.

The director telling O'Keeffe their company completes about 20% of the work, passing off the remaining 80% to other contractors in violation of rules regarding subcontracting.

That company is now under investigation by the SBA.

O'Keefe's reporting triggering an additional wave of investigations.

The Treasury Department in November announcing its own probe into the program, covering about $9 billion worth of contracts.

Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, head of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, sending letters to 22 agency heads, including the Department of War, Interior, DOJ, and more, requesting that they pause 8A contracting and conduct internal reviews of those contracts within their agencies.

Yesterday, Senator Ernst's committee holding a hearing on the matter.

The senator outlining inherent issues that result from issuing contracts based on skin color rather than merit.

Democrats, led by Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, largely belittling the need for the hearing.

Investigative reporter Luke Rosiak, who has extensively covered fraud within the program, testifying that it no longer serves its original purpose.

Earlier this week, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler issuing letters requiring all 4,300 8A firms to submit financial records covering the last three years, as Senator Ernst has introduced legislation to halt all awards under the program until an audit is complete.

The Trump administration is preparing to require foreign travelers from more than three dozen countries to submit their last five years of social media history before being allowed into the U.S.,

U.S.

Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday filing notice of the proposal in the Federal Register, the government's official public notice system.

The proposal applying to visitors seeking electronic travel authorization, a visa waiver program for certain countries, to enter the U.S.