Royce questions diplomats’ benefits

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) recently raised questions about foreign diplomats receiving federal benefits and, in some cases, defrauding government programs.

In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Royce cited reports that 25 Russian diplomats received Medicaid benefits because they underreported income or falsely claimed children who were U.S. residents.

The Russian diplomats and their spouses received approximately $1.5 million in fraudulent benefits over a 10-year period. Staff members who worked in U.S.-based offices supplied false documents to support the claims, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Royce said he was “deeply troubled” and requested a briefing on the matter from Kerry.

Royce raised a number of questions about how the investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the State Department.

He also questioned how the diplomats and coconspirators living inside and outside the U.S. would be handled.

“This situation also raises a number of important questions about government programs that provide benefits to foreign diplomats …” Royce said.

Royce requested information on the benefits programs available to diplomats. He also questioned whether or not the Obama Administration has knowledge of other foreign diplomats receiving fraudulent benefits and asked what would be done to prevent it in the future.