Social assistance recipients in Massachusetts spent taxpayer money on trips to tropical vacation destinations and states thousands of miles from New England, according to a new Boston Herald investigation.
Public records requested by the Herald showed that taxpayer-funded EBT cards were used in Hawaiithe Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, California, Florida, Alaska and several other locations across the country. More than $3 billion in federal and state funds have been distributed to blue-state recipients in fiscal year 2024.
In Hawaii, 32 fees were charged to EBT cards this year, with the largest expense being $378 in March on the island of Maui, the report says.
Another $351 was spent in Hilo, another popular Hawaiian tourist destination known for its beautiful waterfalls and lush rainforests. According to public records, EBT money was also spent in Honolulu, Pearl City, Princeville, Waikoloa and Captain Cook.
Maui, Hawaii, was one of the places where Massachusetts EBT dollars were used, a new investigation found. (AP Photo/MVB, Ron Dahlquist)
That's not all. Massachusetts EBT dollars were spent in virtually every state in the United States, including 165 cities and towns in California and 293 localities in Florida, according to the report.
More than a dozen expenses were also recorded in the Virgin Islands and Alaska this year, including a $395 charge in Anchorage.
Republican Sen. Ryan Fattman called the report's findings “madness and government at its worst.”
“It doesn’t make any sense. It’s insane and government at its worst,” he told the Herald. “What the hell is anybody doing in Hawaii? We need that money to help feed families,” he said. “It makes me think there’s a major problem with this system.”
Massachusetts EBT funds were spent thousands of miles away from New England, new report finds. (iStock)
There are restrictions on the use of EBT funds. They cannot be used to purchase alcohol, firearms or ammunition, pornography, recreational marijuana, or for gambling or lottery tickets, among other restrictions.
Use of these services while traveling must also be approved, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance said. Failure to do so may result in termination of benefits.
“Individuals receiving public assistance through the Department of Transitional Assistance use these benefits to meet their most basic needs and are eligible by having an annual income that is at least 200 percent below the federal poverty level. Federal and state laws regulate what can be purchased with benefits and where purchases can be made, and any out-of-state use beyond approved temporary absences may result in an individual no longer receiving assistance due to failure to meet Massachusetts residency requirements,” the DTA said in a statement. Fox News Digital.
According to the Herald report, more than $11 billion in food and economic assistance has been distributed to eligible residents over the past three fiscal years.
Migrants sleeping on the ground at Logan Airport asked to leave (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Massachusetts is a sanctuary state and allows migrants to access these welfare programs. An estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants have flocked to the state since 2021.
A recent report According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the state's immigration crisis will cost taxpayers $1.8 billion over the next two years.
Immigrants are eligible for food stamps provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, and other government services. Immigrants can access these programs even if the federal government prohibits access to these programs.
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Fox News' Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.
