Verdict with Ted Cruz - February 12, 2026


BONUS POD： Now Playing-The Case of California's Disappearing Billions


Episode Stats

Length

11 minutes

Words per Minute

162.30058

Word Count

1,933

Sentence Count

166


Summary

Massive fraud found in California, and many, including Donald Trump, are warning that it may be bigger than what we found in Minnesota. The money was meant to feed the homeless, but instead he was using it to live a luxurious life.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.520 Guaranteed human.
00:00:04.820 We love clean, beautiful coal, don't we, Doug?
00:00:08.020 I'm thrilled to welcome to the White House
00:00:10.700 the men and women who light our cities
00:00:14.060 and, you know, you do things
00:00:16.420 that people don't even understand so much.
00:00:18.980 You do so much.
00:00:20.040 You heat our homes, fuel our factories,
00:00:22.940 and turn natural resources
00:00:24.940 into American riches and dreams.
00:00:27.360 Our amazing coal miners.
00:00:28.780 Thank you very much, fellas.
00:00:30.080 That's great.
00:00:32.040 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update
00:00:34.620 with Ben Ferguson.
00:00:36.020 Good Thursday morning.
00:00:37.080 Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update,
00:00:39.760 and we've got one major story for you.
00:00:41.920 If you thought the fraud that was found in Minnesota is bad,
00:00:45.440 apparently we've seen nothing yet.
00:00:47.840 Take a look at California,
00:00:49.480 and it's truly unbelievable what they're finding out there.
00:00:53.460 But first, I want to tell you about our friends
00:00:54.860 over at Patriot Mobile.
00:00:55.920 Every so often, something happens that reminds us
00:00:59.060 just how fragile our freedoms are.
00:01:01.640 We can't afford to take our rights for granted.
00:01:04.320 We must draw a line in the sand.
00:01:06.760 And our friends at Patriot Mobile have been doing just that
00:01:09.860 for more than 12 years.
00:01:12.060 The truth is, there is only one provider
00:01:14.520 that boldly stands in the gap for Americans
00:01:17.260 who believe freedom is worth fighting for.
00:01:19.540 And that company is Patriot Mobile.
00:01:21.300 Not only are they leading the red economy,
00:01:24.460 they're also outpacing the competition in technology.
00:01:28.140 Patriot Mobile is one of the only carriers
00:01:31.160 offering premium access to all three major U.S. networks,
00:01:35.980 giving you nationwide coverage and service
00:01:38.020 that you can count on day after day.
00:01:40.800 They also offer unlimited data plans,
00:01:43.600 mobile hotspots, international roaming,
00:01:46.300 internet backup, and so much more.
00:01:48.560 And switching has never been easier.
00:01:50.380 You can activate in minutes on your phone
00:01:53.940 from your home or your office.
00:01:55.900 And you keep your same number you've got now,
00:01:57.600 keep your same phone, or upgrade to a new one.
00:02:00.060 And this is where the magic happens.
00:02:02.300 Every month, about 5% of your bill
00:02:04.500 is given back to conservative causes
00:02:07.000 at no extra cost to you
00:02:08.680 that stand up for our First and our Second Amendment rights,
00:02:12.100 the rights of unborn children,
00:02:14.060 and our wounded warriors,
00:02:15.460 and those that have fought for our country
00:02:17.760 and wear a badge.
00:02:18.820 So take a stand today.
00:02:20.880 Go to patriotmobile.com slash ben47
00:02:25.420 or call 972-PATRIOT.
00:02:29.360 And if you use the promo code ben47,
00:02:32.420 you're going to get a free month of service.
00:02:36.520 That's patriotmobile.com slash ben47
00:02:40.200 or 972-PATRIOT and make the switch today.
00:02:45.420 It's the 47 Morning Update,
00:02:47.620 and it starts right now.
00:02:49.160 Story number one.
00:02:50.500 Massive fraud found in California,
00:02:53.400 and many, including Donald Trump,
00:02:54.900 are warning that it may be bigger
00:02:56.540 than what we found in Minnesota.
00:02:59.200 Millions of your tax dollars were defrauded,
00:03:02.980 in fact, by just one man.
00:03:05.080 The money was meant to feed the homeless.
00:03:07.320 I want you to hear how Fox News talked about this one individual
00:03:12.080 that defrauded Americans of more than $23 million.
00:03:18.180 I'll say it again.
00:03:19.880 This is just one person.
00:03:22.980 Listen to the report from Fox News.
00:03:25.440 Agents moving in today,
00:03:26.900 busting a man accused of stealing tens of millions of dollars
00:03:30.320 meant for the homeless
00:03:31.400 and spending that cash on a lavish lifestyle.
00:03:34.640 Of course, Bond and Matt Finn is live in Los Angeles for you.
00:03:38.440 And, you know, folks were warned about this,
00:03:42.000 and lo and behold, here it is.
00:03:43.820 Yeah, this is it behind me, John.
00:03:45.320 The feds say this man was contracted
00:03:47.920 with the city and county of Los Angeles
00:03:50.280 to house and feed up to 600 homeless people,
00:03:53.640 but instead he was misusing tens of millions of dollars
00:03:56.920 to live a luxurious life.
00:04:00.020 Exclusive Fox video shows the feds' early morning bust
00:04:03.240 here at the L.A. mansion.
00:04:04.780 42-year-old Alexander Sucre was arrested.
00:04:07.940 Sucre's $125,000 Land Rover
00:04:10.460 was also seized by law enforcement.
00:04:13.020 The feds say Sucre defrauded the city and county of L.A.
00:04:15.480 out of $23 million in taxpayer dollars
00:04:18.120 for not only his mansion and car,
00:04:20.280 but a second home in Greece,
00:04:22.080 luxury vacations, designer clothes,
00:04:24.500 and private schools.
00:04:25.740 He was living the high life
00:04:27.060 while the people suffering homeless on the streets
00:04:31.540 with no shelter, no food.
00:04:33.800 They're living out in the streets.
00:04:35.220 People are literally dying.
00:04:36.920 And this guy is out vacationing,
00:04:38.860 buying homes, buying Range Rovers,
00:04:40.760 and going shopping.
00:04:42.120 Prosecutors say Sucre was supposed to provide
00:04:44.100 three nutritional meals a day to the homeless,
00:04:46.460 but during one inspection,
00:04:47.800 Sucre only had canned beans and ramen noodles on hand.
00:04:50.700 The feds say Sucre lied about various aspects
00:04:54.200 of abundant blessings,
00:04:55.960 including fake vendors, facilities,
00:04:58.180 and the homeless actually getting meals.
00:05:00.140 The U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. says
00:05:01.740 they are actively investigating
00:05:03.260 at least 12 other similar fraud cases
00:05:05.660 here in California.
00:05:07.020 First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Assaylee says
00:05:08.920 there's a tremendous amount of fraud in this state
00:05:11.080 and that today's bust of one man
00:05:12.980 who misused $23 million alone
00:05:15.240 may show how little oversight there is.
00:05:17.760 California was pushing this money out quickly.
00:05:20.100 A lot of money went out the door
00:05:22.720 with, frankly, very little vetting,
00:05:25.720 very little checks and balances,
00:05:27.620 and he's one of the individuals that got it.
00:05:30.380 The suspect is scheduled to make
00:05:32.140 his first appearance later today.
00:05:33.620 He faces up to 20 years if convicted on a federal case.
00:05:36.920 The local district attorney is also planning
00:05:38.740 on prosecuting John.
00:05:40.220 Now, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
00:05:43.680 In fact, we now have the same man, Nick Shirley,
00:05:46.640 who did the incredible job
00:05:48.980 of discovering massive fraud in Minneapolis
00:05:51.980 and exposing it to the world
00:05:53.600 that has landed in California.
00:05:55.900 And he's now saying that's even worse
00:05:57.860 than anyone else could have imagined.
00:05:59.800 Before I get to that, though,
00:06:01.180 I want to tell you about my good friends
00:06:03.080 over at Bitcoin IRA.
00:06:05.640 I got to ask you a question.
00:06:07.460 Can you buy real Bitcoin
00:06:08.640 in your retirement account?
00:06:10.720 Well, if not,
00:06:12.040 it's time to upgrade to Bitcoin IRA.
00:06:14.600 It's 2026,
00:06:16.660 and cryptocurrency is where so many investors
00:06:18.880 are going and diversifying.
00:06:21.520 You can buy and sell Bitcoin
00:06:23.620 inside a tax-advantaged IRA
00:06:25.840 with Bitcoin IRA.
00:06:27.980 And that gives you more ways
00:06:29.440 to diversify and grow your retirement savings.
00:06:33.300 Security is their number one priority.
00:06:36.120 And your assets are protected
00:06:37.680 by military-grade multi-key security.
00:06:40.840 And you're covered up to $250 million
00:06:43.880 in digital asset insurance.
00:06:47.100 So, what are you waiting for?
00:06:49.080 Get in the Bitcoin game today
00:06:51.420 and diversify your portfolio.
00:06:53.780 You'll actually talk to a real person.
00:06:56.000 866-679-6871.
00:07:00.960 866-679-7871.
00:07:07.100 Or Bitcoin, IRA.com slash Ben.
00:07:10.340 That's Bitcoin, IRA.com slash Ben.
00:07:13.420 To open a free account
00:07:14.840 and earn up to $1,000 bonus right now.
00:07:18.520 All right, take a listen
00:07:19.700 to what Nick Shirley said
00:07:21.940 about arriving in California.
00:07:24.040 And what he says is,
00:07:25.520 well, incredible amounts of fraud
00:07:27.340 that may be much bigger
00:07:29.220 than what he exposed in Minnesota.
00:07:31.940 Oh, there's massive fraud in California.
00:07:33.820 I mean, the homelessness
00:07:34.940 has just increased
00:07:36.220 as they receive more money.
00:07:38.240 And that's just one part of it.
00:07:39.620 And like you talked about
00:07:40.280 the light rail and everything like that.
00:07:42.260 The fraud is like crazy in California.
00:07:45.040 And they have the highest taxes.
00:07:46.620 Yeah, they want more.
00:07:48.980 Nick, has anybody approached you
00:07:50.580 about this thing?
00:07:51.360 I tweeted it about it.
00:07:52.180 I had never heard about it.
00:07:53.140 But these guys educated me
00:07:54.900 on it called QUITAN,
00:07:56.020 which is this framework
00:07:58.060 where you can actually sue
00:08:00.000 on behalf of the state
00:08:01.560 and on behalf of taxpayers.
00:08:03.560 Has anybody approached you
00:08:04.820 about thinking about
00:08:06.240 using all of the information
00:08:07.580 that you've garnered
00:08:08.300 to try to launch
00:08:09.320 some of these lawsuits or no?
00:08:11.620 Yeah, I actually had somebody
00:08:12.400 reach out to me
00:08:13.040 the other day about it.
00:08:13.840 So I'm going to actually
00:08:14.660 hop on a phone call with that guy.
00:08:16.240 Yeah, also, as I understand it,
00:08:18.060 some of these whistleblower laws
00:08:19.640 reward the whistleblower
00:08:20.800 with something like 20 to 30%
00:08:22.600 of amounts.
00:08:24.100 Up to 50% in some cases.
00:08:25.480 Yeah, I don't know
00:08:26.760 if it's like fines
00:08:27.680 or it's amounts
00:08:28.460 that are recaptured.
00:08:29.860 Recaptured, yeah.
00:08:30.580 But, I don't know, Nick,
00:08:31.700 you could become a billionaire here
00:08:32.900 just with all the billions
00:08:33.780 you've exposed.
00:08:35.260 I know, right?
00:08:36.220 I got to sit down
00:08:37.460 and figure it out.
00:08:38.060 I know that's not
00:08:38.540 why you're in it, but I mean...
00:08:39.760 You'd be the most well-loved
00:08:40.700 billionaire in America
00:08:41.700 if you did.
00:08:42.040 Absolutely.
00:08:42.700 Well, the way to do it is,
00:08:43.860 you know, since you're drafting
00:08:45.120 off of these other news reports,
00:08:46.620 is to set up your own tip line.
00:08:48.100 So, Nick, what's your website?
00:08:49.660 Or do you have a website
00:08:50.460 where people can donate?
00:08:51.380 And do you have a tip line?
00:08:52.960 Because you wouldn't get
00:08:54.260 the Whistleblow Awards
00:08:55.980 for the stuff Fox 9's
00:08:57.400 been doing for a decade,
00:08:58.560 but for the next one, you could.
00:09:00.720 So, what is your website
00:09:01.920 where people can donate, Nick?
00:09:03.240 Yeah, everything just
00:09:04.320 on social media.
00:09:05.360 So, they can message me
00:09:06.460 on any platform.
00:09:07.840 I should probably
00:09:08.320 get a website going.
00:09:11.640 Nick, what's your social media handle
00:09:14.200 where people can DM you
00:09:15.260 and donate?
00:09:16.160 Yeah, it's just Nick Shirley.
00:09:17.360 And if you go on X,
00:09:18.300 I do have my tip section open.
00:09:19.980 So, if you would like
00:09:20.520 to donate there,
00:09:21.380 that gives them all the,
00:09:22.620 whether it be Venmo,
00:09:23.900 Cash App, Crypto,
00:09:25.480 you can all do it right there.
00:09:26.940 So, X-Doc.
00:09:27.680 By the way, I love
00:09:29.020 that this guy
00:09:30.020 is doing this on his own.
00:09:31.840 Like, he's just like,
00:09:32.880 yeah, if you want to support,
00:09:34.000 go for it.
00:09:34.880 I'm just going to be out here
00:09:35.960 exposing all this
00:09:37.000 waste, fraud, and abuse.
00:09:38.380 Like, that's what I'm doing
00:09:39.380 with my life now.
00:09:40.760 I'm not afraid.
00:09:41.640 Like, Nick Shirley
00:09:42.680 was in San Diego.
00:09:45.020 He now estimates
00:09:46.060 billions of dollars
00:09:47.380 in fraud
00:09:47.880 under Gavin Newsom's
00:09:48.780 leadership.
00:09:49.580 And they want
00:09:50.860 more money.
00:09:51.640 They want to raise taxes
00:09:52.760 even higher
00:09:54.140 than they are
00:09:55.340 right now.
00:09:56.720 There's also
00:09:57.540 Benny Johnson
00:09:58.320 who says his team
00:09:59.360 is traveling
00:09:59.940 to the fraud capital
00:10:01.220 of the world.
00:10:01.960 He's now saying
00:10:02.600 it's California.
00:10:03.920 They say the fraud
00:10:04.720 uncovered in Minnesota
00:10:05.540 was very bad
00:10:07.520 and led to the destruction
00:10:08.980 of Tim Walts' career.
00:10:10.880 But Gavin Newsom's
00:10:11.820 California
00:10:12.320 is far worse.
00:10:13.460 Saying the American
00:10:14.100 taxpayer needs
00:10:14.960 first-hand
00:10:15.720 to understand
00:10:17.040 how criminal
00:10:17.960 California's fraud
00:10:19.120 is robbing
00:10:19.920 our nation blind.
00:10:21.560 He said,
00:10:22.260 here's just a glimpse
00:10:23.160 of what we already know.
00:10:24.640 A state auditor
00:10:25.360 in California
00:10:26.080 found,
00:10:26.740 ready for this,
00:10:28.060 $70 billion.
00:10:30.440 Think about that number.
00:10:31.740 $70 billion
00:10:32.600 in taxpayer funds
00:10:33.860 that have been lost.
00:10:35.120 Like, they just disappeared.
00:10:36.300 No accounting
00:10:36.820 for them whatsoever.
00:10:38.460 $24 billion
00:10:39.900 in California loans
00:10:41.040 spent on
00:10:41.560 non-existent
00:10:43.020 homelessness programs.
00:10:45.040 That means
00:10:45.680 someone stole
00:10:46.400 $24 billion.
00:10:48.280 $18 billion
00:10:49.840 poured into
00:10:51.340 non-existent
00:10:52.260 high-speed rail.
00:10:53.880 You heard Nick
00:10:54.360 talk about that
00:10:55.020 a second ago.
00:10:56.160 $32 billion
00:10:57.260 for COVID relief funds
00:10:59.280 that have been stolen.
00:11:00.980 $2.5 billion,
00:11:02.920 ready for this word,
00:11:04.180 lost to snap fraud.
00:11:06.540 billions spent on
00:11:08.660 rebuilding
00:11:09.260 after the Palisade fires,
00:11:12.020 but no homes
00:11:12.980 have been built.
00:11:14.560 That is just some
00:11:15.840 of what's being
00:11:16.660 exposed right now.
00:11:18.120 This is all
00:11:19.060 happening in
00:11:20.060 California.
00:11:21.280 It's truly
00:11:22.380 incredible.
00:11:23.880 But California
00:11:24.580 is the fraud capital
00:11:25.620 of America,
00:11:26.420 and the taxpayer fund
00:11:28.120 and non-profits
00:11:28.880 there are embezzling
00:11:30.520 our money
00:11:31.120 by the billions,
00:11:32.100 and the governor
00:11:32.660 is allowing it to happen.
00:11:34.220 Thank you for listening
00:11:35.240 to the 47 Morning Update
00:11:36.960 with Ben Ferguson.
00:11:38.620 Please make sure
00:11:39.500 you hit subscribe
00:11:40.440 wherever you're listening
00:11:41.880 to this podcast
00:11:42.720 right now,
00:11:43.660 and for more
00:11:44.440 in-depth news,
00:11:45.640 also subscribe
00:11:46.460 to the Ben Ferguson
00:11:47.460 podcast,
00:11:48.340 and we will see you
00:11:49.260 back here tomorrow.
00:11:51.200 This is an
00:11:51.720 iHeart Podcast.
00:11:53.740 Guaranteed Human.