And These People Want Control of Healthcare

Fake Zip Codes Reported on Stimulus Website

Thirteen Virginia ZIP codes reported to receive $9.5 million in federal stimulus money can’t be found in the state.

Recovery.gov, the federal Web site that reports how the stimulus money is used, lists funding and jobs created by ZIP code. The data is taken from reports filed by the stimulus recipients.

Out of hundreds of ZIP codes listed for Virginia, seven don’t exist and seven are in other states.

Watchdog reporters found similar errors in other states.

Nearly $650,000 was reported as going to six incorrect New Mexico ZIP codes, while in West Virginia, four reported ZIP codes aren’t real, and three are in Virginia.

The problem is akin to one reported by Old Dominion Watchdog in November when congressional districts that don’t exist were reported as receiving stimulus money.

Ed Pound, director of communications for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, at the time attributed the problem to an oversight by the fund recipients. He said it appeared that some of those filling out the reports just didn’t know their congressional districts, and therefore listed an inaccurate number.

A few days after reports about the “phantom” Congressional districts were published, Recovery.gov staff removed the inaccurate districts and listed all their funding under “unassigned congressional district.”

Who got all this money? Who cashed the checks????