Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, released the following statement after another scathing report highlighted failures within Newsom’s Employment Development Department (EDD): “If you woke up today wondering whether one-party rule hurts California’s families, look no further than today’s report on the state’s failed employment department. “This report highlights what legislators have heard far too often these last two ...

On Thursday, federal authorities arrested a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier and a Santa Clarita Valley man for allegedly scheming to steal approximately $800,000 in unemployment insurance (UI) funds by using false claims of COVID-related job losses and stealing UI debit cards from the U.S. mail. Stephen Glover, 32, of Palmdale, who worked at the Valencia post office, ...

In a recent California assembly meeting, Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, made a presentation condemning the Employment Development Department (EDD) for their mismanagement of the criminal activity within their department, presumably wasting billions of taxpayer dollars.  Though initial appraisals estimated $11 billion lost, the amount of unemployment money claimed by fraudulent criminals in California alone is now thought to be at ...

Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, has co-sponsored a bipartisan act to prevent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) fraud and recover an estimated $31 billion in wrongly distributed funds. The bill cosponsored by Garcia, called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Fraud Protection Act or House Resolution 4190, was introduced to the House of Representatives on Friday. “In Congress, one of my priorities is ...

State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, spoke during a hearing to discuss his new bipartisan bill on the concealing of social security numbers by the Employment Development Department (EDD). In a Senate Labor Committee hearing on Monday, Wilk discussed a new bipartisan bill, introduced by Wilk and Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, regarding the restriction of the EDD’s continued use of social ...

State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, joined California Senate Republicans in delivering a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom Tuesday urging him to “take immediate action” to help address the “looming tax tsunami facing unsuspecting and unemployed Californians stemming from mismanagement and fraud in the state’s Unemployment Insurance program.” On Monday, Wilk and eight other Republicans in the California State Senate ...

State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, joined dozens of lawmakers in November to send a letter to the CEO of Bank of America demanding answers regarding the decision to freeze and drain bank accounts associated with Employment Development Department (EDD) debit cards. Wilk joined a bipartisan group of over 50 state legislators, including State Senator Henry Stern, D-Canoga Park, and ...

In an effort to help those experiencing job loss during the coronavirus pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a strike team within the Employment Development Department (EDD). Newsom announced a series of actions to better serve workers that have experienced job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the formation of an EDD strike team, and a renewed focus on processing unpaid ...

Senators Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, and Melissa Hurtado, representing the 14th Senate District, announced they have submitted a request to Governor Newsom urging him to issue an Executive Order to keep EDD phone lines and operations open and fully staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the delay in claims processing is addressed, officials said Thursday. “When ...

Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Thursday he and legislative colleagues are calling for an audit of the California Employment Development Department (EDD), officials said.  The audit is to clarify what is causing the “inexcusable delays” in distributing unemployment benefits to people who, in some cases, applied months ago. The legislators submitted a request for the audit to the Joint ...