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>>  U.S. ATTORNEY MATTHEW
SCHNEIDER ALWAYS HAS A LOT ON
HIS PLATE AND WE’RE ALWAYS GLAD
TO HAVE HIM ON FLASH POINT TO
TALK ABOUT THAT AND HE’S BACK
AGAIN THIS SUNDAY MORNING.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
LET’S JUMP RIGHT INTO OPERATION
LEGEND AND THE FEDERAL AGENTS
BEING IN DETROIT HAS BEEN A
CONTROVERSIAL THING RIGHT FROM
THE START, BUT LET’S BACK UP AND
JUST, HOW MANY CAME TO DETROIT
AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY THEIR ROLE
HERE?
>> SO, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW
WHAT OPERATION LEGEND IS AND
ALSO, WHAT IT’S NOT.
SO OPERATION LEGEND IS DESIGNED
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO BRING
ADDITIONAL FEDERAL RESOURCES AND
AGENTS TO HELP CITIES THAT ARE
AFFLICTED BY THE INCREASE IN
VIOLENT CRIME.
THAT’S ALL THAT IT IS AND WE
HAVE SEEN GREAT PROGRESS IN THE
CITY OF DETROIT, RIGHT FROM THE
START WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE BODY
ARMOR AND COCAINE AND HEROIN AND
ASSAULT RIFLE AND HIGH CAPACITY
MAGAZINES OUT OF THE HANDS OF
ARMED DRUG DEALERS AND ABLE TO
GET THEM OFF THE STREETS AND
ABLE TO GET THE FOLKS WHO ARE
TRIGGER PULLERS, MURDERERS,
LITERALLY, WE HAVE HOMICIDE
CASES WE PICKED UP AND WORKING
WITH THE PARTNERS IN THE DETROIT
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ABLE TO
WORK ON THOSE CASES.
NOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT’S NOT, OF
COURSE, IT’S NOT INTERFERING IN
ANYBODY’S RIGHT TO PROTEST.
THIS IS OUR WAY OF TRYING TO
HELP THE COMMUNITY.
IT’S TRYING TO HELP KEEP OUR
STREETS SAFER.
IT’S TRYING TO HELP OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAKING SURE
THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT
THERE ON THE STREETS, WHO ARE
LITERALLY MURDERING PEOPLE EACH
AND EVERY DAY, TRYING TO ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, GET THOSE PEOPLE
INTO A PLACE WHERE THE VICTIMS
CAN ACHIEVE JUSTICE.
>> I KNOW DETROIT POLICE
ORIGINALLY WHEN THIS WAS RAISED
BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, KIND
OF SCOFFED AT THE IDEA WE DON’T
NEED HELP.
BUT THEN I BELIEVE THE POLICE
CHIEF CAME AROUND ON IT HOW
YOU’RE FRAMING THIS.
GIVEN SUCCESS IT SOUNDS LIKE
YOU’RE HAVING WITH THEM, WOULD
THESE AGENTS POSSIBLY BECOME
PERMANENT AND COULD THEY EVER
ASSIST DETROIT POLICE IF THEY
HAD TROUBLE ON THE STREETS WITH
CRIME?
>> WELL, THEY’RE ASSISTING THE
DETROIT POLICE RIGHT NOW.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S GOING ON.
THE DEA, A.T.F. AND FBI THEY’RE
WORKING WITH DETROIT POLICE AND
I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THEY’RE
PERMANENT AND I KNOW THAT SOME
OF THEM WILL BE PERMANENT.
BECAUSE WE NEED THIS HELP IN
DETROIT.
AND LOOK, AT THE BEGINNING, I
THINK PEOPLE SAID, WELL, WHAT IS
THIS ALL ABOUT?
THIS IS JUST THE PRESIDENT
COMING AND INTERFERING, THIS IS
NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT BARACK
OBAMA DID, WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA
AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER
WHEN THEY WERE IN OFFICE, THEY
MADE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN DETROIT
MADE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN DETROIT
AND THE FBI, DE ACHLTA, AND A.T.
WORKED WITH THE DETROIT POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
THERE’S A NEED AND DOING IT MORE
RESIZELY AND TAKING MORE MONEY
INTO DETROIT.
WE’RE SENDING MORE MONEY, AND
THEREFORE, LAW ENFORCEMENT,
WE’RE IN FACT PAYING THE
SALARIES OF 15 DETROIT POLICE
OFFICERS.
WE’RE GIVING GRANTS TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE CAN
HAVE SHOT SPOTTER TECHNOLOGY TO
FIND OUT WHERE THE GUNSHOTS ARE
COMING FROM AND ENHANCING WHAT
WAS DONE IN THE PAST.
>> JASON: AND LET ME JUMP INTO
THE SPECIFIC CASES TO HELP WITH.
AND SOMETHING THAT BROKE THIS
WEEK.
A MAN WHO IS FACING CHARGES FOR
A COVID SCAM AND I BELIEVE IT
WAS MORE THAN $3 MILLION.
CAN YOU BREAK DOWN THE SCAM AND
CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG, THIS IS
NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT YOU’RE
SEEING AND IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE
SEEING SEVERAL OF THESE.
>> WE HAVE, IN FACT.
UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WE HAVE IN A
SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A
PANDEMIC AND SO, CONGRESS HAS
DECIDED THEY MEAN TO ALLOCATE
MONEY, IN FACT, BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS INTO MICHIGAN TO HELP
SMALL BUSINESSES, TO HELP THE
UNEMPLOYED AND THEY’VE ALLOCATED
THE MONEY TO COME HERE SO PEOPLE
CAN GET SOME RELIEF, BUT ANYTIME
ANYONE FROM THE GOVERNMENT GIVES
OUT MONEY THERE’S GOING TO BE
SOME SCAMMER THERE TRYING TO
STEAL IT AWAY AND THAT’S WHAT’S
HAPPENED.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CASES WHERE
PEOPLE ARE STEALING UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS, WHERE THEY’RE SCAMMING
THE SYSTEM, THEY’RE TAKING AWAY
THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION LOANS
AND THIS POT OF MONEY THAT WE’VE
RECEIVED FROM CONGRESS, IT’S
ONLY SO LARGE.
SO WHEN THAT MONEY RUNS OUT FOR
THE SMALL BUSINESSES, THAT MONEY
IS GONE.
SO, IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY AND
WE’VE SEEN THIS NUMEROUS TIMES,
YOU HAD SOMEBODY STEALING THAT
MONEY AWAY AND DIVERTING IT,
THAT MEANS THAT SOME BUSINESS,
SOME BAKERY, SOME SMALL SHOP IN
YOUR TOWN IS NOT GETTING THE
MONEY AND THAT’S REALLY SAD.
>> AND I KNOW--
MENTS TOO BAD.
>> AND I KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS LIKE YOURSELF WILL SAY
THEY WANT TO REMAIN
PROFESSIONAL, BUT WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT THAT IN THE BUSINESSES
THAT WE’VE SEEN ALREADY GO UNDER
THAT COULDN’T GET THIS MONEY OR
EVEN WENT UNDER AFTER GETTING
THIS MONEY, DO YOU TAKE IT
PERSONALLY WHEN THIS IS THE
NATURE OF THE SCAM?
>> WELL, I DON’T TAKE ANYTHING
PERSONALLY IN MY JOB BECAUSE I’M
NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT AND I
DON’T NEED TO.
HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT I NEED TO
LOOK OUT, NOT JUST FOR ANY
PARTICULAR RESIDENTS, I NEED TO
LOOK OUT FOR ALL SORTS OF
RESIDENTS IN THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN.
BUSINESS OWNERS THE UNEMPLOYED.
PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO GET
FOOD ON THE TABLE.
AND I MEAN, IF YOU STEAL
SOMEBODY’S UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
AND THEY CAN’T GET THE BENEFITS,
THEY CAN’T BUY FOOD FOR THEIR
FAMILIES, THEY CAN’T BUY MEAT,
CAN’T BUY BREAD.
THEY CAN’T BUY FOOD.
AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE UP
AGAINST.
WE’RE UP AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO
USE THE PANDEMIC, WHO JUST DON’T
CARE.
THEY’RE TRYING TO STEAL MONEY
AWAY, REALLY HARMS PEOPLE WHO
NEED IT THE MOST.
>> JASON: AND SOME OF THOSE
PEOPLE ARE UNION WORKERS.
WE SAW THIS WEEK, DENNIS
WILLIAMS IS THE 15TH PERSON IN
THIS HUGE INVESTIGATION INTO THE
UAW TO BE BROUGHT UP ON CHARGES,
SEVERAL HAVE ALREADY PLEADED
GUILTY.
YOU CALLED IT DISHEARTENING
OVERALL THIS WEEK.
TELL ME WHY.
>> WELL, I THINK IT’S WORSE THAN
THAT BECAUSE THIS ISN’T JUST A
SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A COUPLE
OF CORRUPT PEOPLE IN THE UNION
OR A COUPLE OF CORRUPT PEOPLE IN
THE COMPANY OR YOU’VE GOT JUST A
FEW OFFICIALS IN THE UNION WHO
ARE CORRUPT.
THIS IS THE SECOND
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE
INTERNATIONAL UNION NOT THE
FIRST, BUT THE SECOND THAT WE’VE
CHARGED WITH A CRIME.
AND WHAT THEY’RE DOING IS NOT
WORKING.
IF YOUR QUESTION IS, DO WE NEED
REFORMS, I THINK IT’S PRETTY
OBVIOUS.
IT SHOULDN’T HAVE TO TAKE A
SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE UNION TO
BE INDICTED AND TO BE FACING
FEDERAL CHARGES FOR SOMEBODY TO
SAY, THIS CURRENT SYSTEM ISN’T
THE WAY IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE.
>> JASON: YEAH.
>> WE NEED TO TURN THIS UNION
AROUND SO THAT IT SERVES THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO WORK THERE.
>> JASON: I’VE GOT ABOUT 20
SECONDS.
ANY CHANCE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD
TAKE OVER THE UAW TO GET THAT
REFORM?
>> LOOK, I DON’T WANT TO RUN THE
UNION.
IT’S NOT MY GOAL.
WHAT I WANT IS THE UNION TO RUN
ITSELF.
WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE A UNION
THAT WORKS FOR THE MEMBERS AND
THAT’S NOT CORRUPT.
AND IF THAT MEANS SOME LEVEL OF
GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT, SO BE IT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
U.S. ATTORNEY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER,
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND WE
