Consumer Rights

17. FRAUD, THEFT & PUBLIC MONEY

Taxpayer money belongs to taxpayers.

Fraud against public programs should be investigated aggressively regardless of where it occurs or which political party controls the government.

MPA supports:

Follow the money.

Publish the money.

Audit the money.

Recover stolen money.

Prosecute provable crimes.

Government officials or contractors who knowingly steal, divert, falsify, facilitate fraudulent payments, accept kickbacks, or conceal criminal misuse of public funds should face individual consequences where criminal culpability is established.

Major programs should use modern fraud detection, auditing, beneficial-ownership verification, and payment controls.

Losing billions of dollars should never become an administrative footnote.

51. CAPITALISM & COMPETITION

MPA supports capitalism.

MPA does not support corporatism.

Government should aggressively enforce laws against:

• Price fixing

• Bid rigging

• Fraud

• Bribery

• Criminal conspiracies

• Government contracting fraud

Break down regulatory barriers protecting established companies from competition.

Protect small businesses.

Reduce regulatory capture.

Capitalism requires competition, not government-protected monopolies.