The Tiffany Telegram: December 5, 2025

Dear Friend,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This week the Tiffany Telegram is packed with important news so make sure to give it a read.

We recently learned that Minnesota didn't just have a little bit of welfare fraud... they had billions with a "B" in fraud across multiple state programs.

Earlier this year, Telegram readers will remember the Feeding Our Future scandal - a COVID food program meant for hungry children that instead morphed into a $250 million fraud scheme, leading to 78 individuals being charged. They used taxpayer money to buy luxury cars, fancy trips, and even real estate in Kenya.

And that was only the tip of the iceberg. Fraud was eating Minnesota alive, and Tim Walz let them go back for seconds.

In a chilling revelation, Somalian fraud rings siphoned off millions more through Medicaid, exploiting Housing Stabilization Services and autism provider programs. In total, well over $1 billion in tax dollars were gobbled up - with millions ending up overseas in the hands of the Somalian-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

And the most troubling part is that it was the federal government that discovered the fraud. Governor Tim Walz and his cronies ignored it for years, all while individuals connected to the scandal reportedly poured money into Democrat campaigns.

Every single person responsible must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Yet here in Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers has not learned a single lesson from this.

Instead of increasing transparency, Governor Evers is blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from reviewing our food stamp rolls for fraud, illegal aliens, and dead beneficiaries. In states that have submitted their data to the USDA, audits have already identified significant issues, including 186,000 deceased individuals receiving food stamps and 500,000 people receiving benefits more than once.

But Wisconsin Democrats refuse to allow our data to be reviewed, even suing the federal government to stop it. Governor Evers then doubled down, defending his decision not to check for any bad apples. You can watch that viral clip here.

We must ensure Wisconsin is not feeding Minnesota-style fraud. That is why this week I sent him a letter urging him to reverse this reckless decision.

Vulnerable Wisconsinites are now at risk of losing their food stamp benefits because Governor Evers would rather protect fraud and illegal aliens than our own taxpayers.

We should all be able to agree that fraud and abuse in vital safety net programs is unacceptable. I will continue fighting to root out fraud and waste in our government. Taxpayers have a right to know where their money is going and who is receiving it.

If there is nothing to hide, why not open the books? You can read the full letter I sent to Governor Evers on this topic here.

Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week's edition of the Tiffany Telegram.

Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Click hereto learn how Governor Tony Evers is blocking a review of our food stamp data for fraud. It's time to release the files.

Giving locals the final say on refugees

This week, I reintroduced an important piece of legislation - the Community Assent for Refugee Entry Act, or CARE Act - for short. My bill would give local officials the final say on any refugee "resettlements" in their communities - instead of allowing federal bureaucrats and sketchy "Non-Governmental Organizations" to simply flood American neighborhoods with foreigners without bothering to check first with the local residents. You'd think something like this would be standard operating procedure and just plain common sense, but you'd be wrong. In fact, we've seen these kinds of arbitrary "resettlements" several times over the last few years, including right here in Wisconsin. Telegramreaders may recall that some of the "NGOs" pushing for these "resettlements" were so brazen during President Biden's term (unfortunately with the assistance of Governor Evers) that one of them openly admitted that they "don't specifically reach out to the elected officials of an area" before proceeding with their plans. Back then, I pushed the Evers administration's "refugee coordinator" not once, but twice, to stop making these decisions behind closed doors. Sadly, I never got a satisfactory response. The good news is that the Trump administration has ended this dangerous and outrageous Biden-era practice. The bad news is that we can't count on that forever. We need a strong law on the books to protect local control going forward well into the future, which is why I introduced this bill. You can read more about it here, here, and here.

Protecting taxpayers' right to due process

For far too long, American taxpayers have been left to suffer because of an outdated tax court process. Citizens have been forced to go up against the IRS with little-to-no due process, sense of urgency, or transparency. During my time in Washington, I have made it a priority to ensure the federal government is working for, not against, the American people. That is why, this week, I supported a long-awaited, bipartisan bill to reform the Tax Court. The Tax Court Improvement Act will deliver results for American taxpayers and small businesses by modernizing the Tax Court to ensure that taxpayers get a fair shake. Key reforms include updating subpoena rules, reducing case backlogs, strengthening judicial ethics, and restoring balance and efficiency to the system.

We warned them

Just before Thanksgiving, Americans were horrified by the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in our Nation's Capital by one of the tens of thousands of Afghans haphazardly brought into our country via "parole" by former President Joe Biden. This terrorist attack unfortunately confirmed what many Americans feared would happen four years ago in the wake of Kabul's fall. Telegram readers will remember that back then, I warned the Biden administration that their widespread and legally dubious use of so-called "parole" to bring in planeloads of unvetted and unscreened foreigners from a hotbed of Islamic terrorism would put Americans at risk. What made President Biden's actions even more shocking were explicit concerns expressed by his own immigration officers, one of whom told CNN during the chaos that the White House strategy was simply to "get as many people on the plane as you can, and we'll sort out the (immigration visa) stuff later." It's an issue I raised alarm bells about when Afghans who had not completed background checks were allowed to simply walk out of Fort McCoy almost immediately. In other words, Biden brought them in first and decided to ask questions later - and Americans are once again seeing the results of this ticking time bomb. Even worse, this isn't the first time. We all remember the grim reports of Afghans engaging in shocking criminal acts in Wisconsin and other states after their arrival. Fortunately, the Trump administration is moving quickly to clean up President Biden's mess by re-screening every Afghan who was admitted by the last administration. In fact, some of them - with convictions ranging from supporting terrorism to child molestation - have already been arrested. You can read more about that here and here.

Click hereto watch my Fox News interview exposing the Biden administration's disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and its many failures. Every Afghan brought in must be reexamined.

Committee Update

Natural Resources

Making D.C. safe again

We had our first hearing of the month in the Federal Lands Subcommittee on Tuesday, and one of the bills we discussed was the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act. Washington, D.C. is home to some of our most revered landmarks, honoring our heroes, celebrating our triumphs, and promoting the foundational ideals that define our nation. The Nation's Capital belongs to all of us, and it ought to be a place that makes every US citizen proud, whether you live here or are just visiting. Unfortunately, our once dazzling national capital has became one of the most dangerous and deadly cities in the country during the Biden administration. Just two short years ago, under President Biden and in the wake of the "Defund the Police" movement, the city experienced its deadliest year in two decades. What many people don't realize is that nearly one-quarter of Washington, D.C. is comprised of parkland open to the public, with the National Park Service managing approximately 90% of that area. These are federally owned lands, maintained by American taxpayers and visited by millions of people each and every year. In response to the unacceptable conditions in our Nation's Capital, President Trump has taken decisive action to reestablish law and order in Washington, D.C., and the legislation we discussed codifies the "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful" Executive Order. This important bill will further strengthen the work being done by the Trump administration to make our Nation's Capital a great American city again. You can watch a few of my comments from the hearing here.

District Update

Apply now: USAFA Summer Seminar

The United States Air Force Academy is now accepting applications to participate in the 2026 Summer Seminar. Applicants will have the opportunity to gain firsthand experience of what it's like to live as a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet for five days in the month of June. Those accepted will be assigned an upper-class cadet to be their mentor and guide throughout the seminar. Applications are due on January 15. Click here for more information.

Photo of the week

As we approach the 84th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, this week's photo was submitted as a reminder of the freedoms we enjoy and a commemoration of those who put their lives on the line to protect our great nation. If you have a photo of Wisconsin or any of the snow we received, send it to [email protected] with your name and location. Your photo could be featured in next week's Telegram!

"Patriotic Duo" - submitted by Jim and Robyn of New Richmond

Resources

Vacation is meant to be relaxing, so don't let renewing or applying for your passport stress you out. The current processing time is 4 to 6 weeks, so we recommend getting this done as soon as possible. For more information, click here.

Additionally, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are available in Wisconsin due to economic losses caused by excessive moisture. Click here to see if you are eligible to apply.

If a friend forwarded you this newsletter, and you would like to receive it in the future, you can subscribe here for weekly updates and connect with me on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

As always, you are welcome to visit my website or to contact my offices in Washington, DC or Wisconsin, which remain open for service, if you have any questions or need assistance.

Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District and Congress

Mission Accomplished

During this year's Operation Christmas Child's National Collection Week, TrueNorth Financial in Chetek received 34 shoeboxes of presents for children in need!

Big Rivers Conference Shutout

The Hudson Girls Hockey Team shutout Eau Claire this week with goalie Emma Amundson stopping all 30 shots she faced at the net.

Sheriff's Office Newest

The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office newest K9 officer, Vader, went on his first patrol shift with Deputy Oeltjen. Thank you for your service!

Investing In American Kids

This week, Michael and Susan Dell announced their $6.25 billion commitment to create about 25 million additional Trump Accounts for children across the country.

Securing The Border

For seven months running, not a single illegal alien was "caught and released" into American neighborhoods thanks to President Trump's border crackdown.