Americans want to help people in need, but when the government does that, about $500 billion in taxpayer money gets stolen.

It’s how the system is designed, said the United Council on Welfare Fraud’s Andrew McClenahan in a new video. “You’re measuring success by the amount of money you put out.”

STOSSEL: Where was the incentive to stop fraud in Minneapolis? Back to video

Because of that, government agencies rarely check whether their handouts go to the right people.

Minnesota is just the latest example. Government officials didn’t uncover that fraud — YouTuber Nick Shirley did.

I said to McClenahan, “It’s weird that a kid did what government investigators couldn’t do.”

“Articles back in 2018 talked about millions of dollars in suitcases being flown out of Minneapolis,” he replied. “But it took a 20-year-old with an iPhone to go in there and expose it on Twitter.”

Billions in welfare payments frozen

After Shirley publicized the fraud, the White House froze billions in welfare payments. Progressives didn’t like that.

“What they are doing is creating confusion, chaos, trying to intimidate people,”........

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