WASHINGTON, DC — When Washington's ruling class writes multi-billion-dollar emergency relief bills, they always make sure the language sounds noble, compassionate, and strictly tailored for struggling working-class families. But when the dust settles, it turns out some people find a way to make sure the cash flows right into their own affluent pockets.
The Department of Justice announced that the iconic Strand Book Store in New York City—owned by Nancy Bass Wyden, the wife of top Senate Democrat Ron Wyden—has agreed to pay nearly $1.5 million to settle allegations that it improperly obtained pandemic relief funds.
According to federal prosecutors and Department of Justice records, the historic bookstore received a second-draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan totaling $932,350 in February 2021. The glaring catch? At the time the loan was secured, the bookstore's controlling owner was married to a sitting U.S. senator—a status that rendered the business ineligible under rules barring entities tied to top lawmakers from cashing in on the taxpayer-funded bailout.
To make matters even richer, Senator Ron Wyden just happened to be serving as a senior leader on the Senate Finance Committee when the legislation was crafted and passed.
Under the civil settlement finalized with federal authorities, the Strand Book Store agreed to cough up $1,482,560 to resolve the false claims allegations, though representatives for the bookstore claimed the application error was "unintentional" and noted the settlement included no formal determination of liability.
When lawmakers spend years lecturing everyday Americans about rule-following, equity, and fiscal discipline, it is always fascinating to watch how the rules magically bend in their own households. While ordinary citizens were locked down, small businesses were shuttered, and taxpayers were left holding the bag, Washington elites and their spouses were apparently busy engineering their own rescue packages.
Rules for thee, but nearly a million in pandemic cash for me. As federal authorities continue cracking down on pandemic-era waste and abuse, this latest payout is a stark reminder that the swamp's favorite pastime is cashing in on the very crises they pretend to solve.
