A recent video on X has US Attorney Bill Essayli claiming that California’s hospice fraud issue will have grown to “hundreds of billions” of dollars under Gov. Gavin Newsom. He concludes that Newsom has declined to implement stricter regulations recommended by state auditors. The clip is going viral on the Internet, with netizens debating whether the topic is a “generational scandal” or if more evidence is required.
The post was shared on X by @EricLDaugh. It shows remarks from US Attorney Bill Essayli citing purported large-scale hospice fraud in California under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tenure. In the video, Essayli states that fraud related to the state’s hospice program could climb to “hundreds of billions” of dollars and blasts Newsom, saying he ignored oversight alerts.
In the video, Essayli calls Newsom the “fraud king” and claims the losses will ultimately “be in the hundreds of billions of dollars under his watch.” He attributes the issue to California’s role as a licensor and administrator of hospice and claims that the state’s systems enabled the purported fraud in the first place.
According to the post’s description, Essayli also claims that California was supposed to implement new regulations by January 1, following recommendations from a state auditor who warned that existing rules were insufficient to crack down on fraud. Essayli says that Newsom did not implement the regulations and that they would have produced a drastic reduction in fraud.
Online Reactions to Essayli’s Claims About Newsom and California
The video went viral on the internet. Some cautioned against being too gullible and instead asked for concrete proof. One user said, “Hundreds of billions of people would like solid proof, not just words,” and another responded, “If this is even close to true, that’s a massive issue…. but it needs evidence. “
Meanwhile, some were more critical of Newsom. A user stated, “hundreds of billions in healthcare fraud and Newsom refused to implement the regulations that would’ve stopped it,” and remarked, “that’s not incompetence, that’s a choice.”
Several users focused on political accountability, with one comment insisting that “politicians need to be prosecuted for their decisions that lead to and perpetuate this kind of defrauding of our money” and calling it “an absolute violation of the public trust.”
One other commenter implied that “ignoring the fraud allegations would make them as guilty. “One more reasonably linked the accusations to the general atmosphere of suspicion, saying, “If there’s this amount of fraud with their budget, imagine the fraud in their elections.”
The clip went viral because not only are accusations of possible hospice fraud amounting to “hundreds of billions” of dollars made, but Gov. Gavin Newsom and state oversight are also directly attacked. It’s reignited the long-simmering debate about California’s regulation of healthcare providers – and may pose risks to Newsom as he faces a potential recall.
It is uncertain if Essayli’s claims will result in any follow-up from authorities. In the meantime, the footage is making the rounds as netizens debate the state’s hospice regulations and Gov. Newsom’s reply.
