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iVoterGuide.com ofrece guías para votar y recursos en español para que los electores estén realmente informados

Por
Redacción Impacto
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(Foto: Archivo)

Todos y cada uno de los votantes deberían poder saber a quién votar y para qué, y iVoterGuide ofrecea la comunidad hispanohablante los recursos y herramientas necesarias para que esto sea posible’

WASHINGTON — Más de 62 millones de hispanos residen actualmente en los Estados Unidos, y el número sigue creciendo. Las investigaciones muestran que los latinos son el segundo grupo étnico de más rápido crecimiento y se estima que 36.2 millones son elegibles para votar este año. A medida que este grupo demográfico crece, se hace más importante que estos votantes estén educados e informados. Sin embargo, existe una barrera lingüística que puede afectar la comprensión de los votantes sobre lo que aparece en la tarjeta electoral.

iVoterGuide.com ha venido trabajando para garantizar que los votantes en todas partes, sin importar su idioma principal, estén informados antes de dirigirse a las urnas.  

iVoterGuide.com, la principal guía de voto judeocristiana del país ofrece una amplia investigación sobre todos los candidatos para que los votantes puedan emitir el voto adecuado que refleje sus valores.

“Hace un año, sentí que Dios estaba llamando a iVoterGuide para proporcionar una versión en español de nuestras guías útiles del votante,” dijo la presidenta de iVoterGuide, Debbie Wuthnow. “Me di cuenta de que había toda una población de votantes que no podían acceder a nuestra información debido a la barrera del idioma. Poco después, fui abordada por una asistente en una conferencia que me informó que Dios le dijo que donara $10,000 dólares a iVoterGuide para que pudiéramos proporcionar nuestros materiales exclusivos en español. El mensaje era claro, y ahora todo el sitio web de iVoterGuide está disponible en español, incluyendo artículos educativos, recursos para compartir, y una investigación y evaluación detallada de más de 13,000 candidatos. Ahora, los estadounidenses de habla hispana tienen un recurso gratuito para obtener información confiable sobre los candidatos en su tarjeta electoral.”

La versión en español de fácil acceso ahora disponible en iVoterGuide.com, ofrece una tarjeta personalizada o un mapa para que los votantes puedan ver cada contienda en todos los estados. Los materiales promocionales, incluidos folletos o boletines de iglesia gratuitos e imprimibles y artículos educativos, también están ahora en español.

“Los estadounidenses de habla hispana representan un gran porcentaje de los votantes, pero lamentablemente se les ha pasado por alto cuando se trata de educarles sobre las elecciones,” dijo Wuthnow. “Cada votante elegible debería poder saber quiénes son los candidatos y qué están votando, y en iVoterGuide estamos encantados de poder proporcionar los recursos y herramientas necesarias para que esto sea posible para la comunidad hispanohablante.”

iVoterGuide también ofrece anuncios de servicio público en español para que las emisoras de radio y televisión hispanas los transmitan gratuitamente.

Para acceder a estos anuncios, haz clic aquí.

Para aquellos que no están seguros de qué candidatos merecen su voto, iVoterGuide.com, una división de AFA Action, proporciona información precisa y actualizada sobre miles de candidatos. La investigación y calificaciones de iVoterGuide.com pueden ser extremadamente valiosas para ayudar a los votantes a distinguir entre candidatos que compiten bajo el mismo partido.

iVoterGuide.com se dedica a equipar a los estadounidenses para ser votantes informados y educados, y es un recurso integral para calificaciones de candidatos e información electoral. iVoterGuide.com es conocido por su precisión e integridad al investigar y evaluar candidatos y equipar a los cristianos para votar sabiamente y ser buenos administradores de su ciudadanía.

Para más información sobre iVoterGuide.com, visita iVoterGuide.com o sigue a iVoterGuide.com en Facebook, X o Instagram.

La mercancía electoral «hecha en China» inunda el mercado estadounidense

Por
VOA
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electoral
Productos de campaña para las campañas presidenciales de 2024 del expresidente Donald Trump y la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris. (Foto: VOA)

A pesar de la retórica contra China de las campañas presidenciales en EE. UU., los seguidores de la vicepresidenta demócrata Kamala Harris y el expresidente republicano Donald Trump demuestran su apoyo con mercancía electoral que muy probablemente fue fabricada en la nación asiática.

A medida que las elecciones presidenciales de Estados Unidos entran en su fase final, cada vez más votantes expresan apoyo a su candidato favorito con prendas y mercancías electorales.

Lo que quizás no sepan es que la gorra de Trump con la leyenda “Make America Great Again” (Hagamos grande a EE. UU. otra vez) o la camiseta “Childless Cat Lady for Harris” (Mujeres sin hijos y con gatos por Harris) que llevan puestas posiblemente se fabricaron en China.

Con la ayuda de las plataformas de comercio electrónico, los comerciantes chinos están inundando el mercado de productos electorales estadounidenses con manufactura barata. La evidencia anecdótica sugiere que los fabricantes estadounidenses de estos productos están teniendo dificultades para competir.

“Creo que la cantidad de cosas en Amazon y Etsy que llegan desde China y otros países en barcos de carga y se descargan en las costas estadounidenses está afectando drásticamente la capacidad de los fabricantes estadounidenses, como yo, de competir y hacer crecer nuestro propio negocio. Creo que es dramático”, dijo Ben Waxman, fundador y copropietario de American Roots, una empresa estadounidense de ropa.

Waxman no compartió las cifras de producción o ganancias con el Servicio Mandarín de la VOA por cuestiones de privacidad, pero dijo que sus camisetas de campaña hechas en Estados Unidos, por ejemplo, se venden por unos 15 dólares cada una, mientras que las del minorista chino en línea Temu se comercian por tan solo 3 dólares.

«Es más caro cuando pagas salarios más altos, salarios dignos y respetas las normas ambientales», dijo Waxman, refiriéndose a las críticas de larga data a las prácticas de fabricación de China.

Su empresa sindicalizada ha estado produciendo artículos de campaña para candidatos presidenciales desde 2016, principalmente camisetas y sudaderas, con todas las materias primas y la producción provenientes de Estados Unidos.

Inundando el mercado

El Servicio Mandarín de la VOA no pudo encontrar cifras totales de ventas de artículos electorales fabricados en Estados Unidos, en comparación con los hecho en China. Sin embargo, la enorme cantidad de productos electorales fabricados en la nación asiática que están actualmente a la venta en plataformas de comercio electrónico, incluidas Amazon y eBay, muestra que están inundando el mercado.

Solo en Temu, se han vendido decenas de miles de artículos con temas electorales a una fracción del precio de las versiones oficiales de las campañas.

Entre ellos, una gorra con la leyenda «Make America Great Again» cuesta menos de $4 dólares, mientras que el sitio web oficial de la tienda de la campaña del expresidente y candidato republicano Trump, – que presume de «Todos los productos fabricados en Estados Unidos»-, los vende por 10 veces más. El precio de cada artículo es de 40 dólares cada uno.

Asimismo, los sombreros “Kamala Harris 2024” de Temu se pueden vender por menos de 3 dólares cada uno, mientras que el sitio web oficial de la tienda de la campaña de la vicepresidenta demócrata Kamala Harris vende sombreros “Kamala” por 47 dólares cada uno.

La campaña de Harris también prometió vender solo productos fabricados en los EE. UU. en sus sitios web oficiales.

La VOA solicitó comentarios a ambas campañas, pero no recibió una respuesta al momento de la publicación.

El marcado contraste en los precios resalta los desafíos que enfrenta Estados Unidos para reducir su dependencia de los productos chinos y cerrar una laguna comercial, conocida como la laguna de minimis, que permite a las empresas chinas enviar productos por un valor inferior a 800 dólares a los EE. UU. sin pagar derechos de importación.

Kim Glas, presidenta y directora ejecutiva del Consejo Nacional de Organizaciones Textiles (NCTO en inglés), una organización alineada con los sindicatos, dijo que el abuso de la laguna de minimis es rampante y agregó que su grupo «perdió 21 operaciones de fabricación en los últimos 18 meses».

Glas dijo que algunos de los fabricantes miembros de NCTO encontraron que las ventas de productos de campaña son más lentas este año que en cualquier ciclo electoral anterior en los EE. UU.

VOA Mandarín se comunicó con Amazon y eBay para obtener comentarios sobre el volumen de productos de campaña presidencial importados de China en sus sitios web y sus regulaciones a los vendedores chinos, pero no recibió una respuesta al momento de la publicación.

Temu no hizo comentarios sobre las ventas de productos electorales en los EE.UU, pero el portavoz de la compañía respondió en un correo electrónico a VOA Mandarín: «El crecimiento de Temu no depende de la política de minimis. Los principales impulsores detrás de nuestra rápida expansión y aceptación en el mercado son las eficiencias de la cadena de suministro y las competencias operativas que hemos cultivado a lo largo de los años».

El portavoz agregó: «Estamos abiertos y apoyamos cualquier ajuste de política realizado por los legisladores que se alinee con los intereses de los consumidores».

Los representantes de la industria textil estadounidense destacan la ironía de que los dos candidatos presidenciales estadounidenses se muestren duros respecto del comercio con China, mientras sus propios seguidores compran productos fabricados en ese país para mostrarles su apoyo.

“Si alguien apoya a un candidato por su política económica y su postura en favor de mejorar nuestra economía, nuestro medio ambiente y nuestras condiciones laborales, y lo hace aumentando la cantidad de fabricación nacional, y luego apoya a un candidato comprando un producto fabricado en un país que defiende lo contrario, en realidad se está haciendo un flaco favor a sí mismo, al candidato y a la economía”, dijo Mitch Cahn, presidente de Unionwear, una empresa de ropa con sede en Nueva York que ha suministrado más de 300.000 gorras de béisbol a la campaña de Harris.

«Cualquiera puede fabricar el producto»

Cahn señala que cualquiera puede producir productos de campaña porque estas no controlan su propiedad intelectual. Creen que «es más valioso para ellos que una persona lleve el nombre de la campaña en la cabeza que ganar dinero vendiendo la mercancía».

“Cuando cualquiera puede fabricar el producto y venderlo, muchos de los productos terminarán siendo fabricados en China porque simplemente no hay muchos fabricantes aquí”, dijo a la VOA Mandarín.

La Associated Press informó el 18 de octubre que miles de las Biblias «God Bless America» (Dios bendiga a EE. UU.) de Donald Trump fueron impresas en China. La AP también señaló que la mayoría de las Biblias, no solo la respaldada por Trump, se fabrican en China.

Los críticos señalan que la promoción de Trump de los productos Made in the USA podría verse socavada por la revelación.

“En años [electorales] anteriores, esto habría sido un escándalo”, dice Marc Zdanow, consultor político y director ejecutivo de Engage Voters US “Creo que a los votantes de Trump simplemente no les importa. … Supongo que la pregunta es si esto llega a la cima para aquellos votantes que aún están indecisos. Este tema es ciertamente uno que podría ser suficiente para alejar a este grupo de Trump”.

Chris Tang, profesor de administración de empresas y gestión global en la Escuela de Administración Anderson de la UCLA, dijo a VOA Mandarín que el impacto de las mercancías fabricadas en China en la economía estadounidense no se debe simplemente a la pérdida unilateral de puestos de trabajo en el sector manufacturero. Los consumidores también obtienen estos productos a precios bajos.

“Si bien hay pérdidas de puestos de trabajo en el sector manufacturero, esto crea oportunidades para que las pequeñas empresas importen pequeñas cantidades rápidamente utilizando [vendedores chinos en línea como] Alibaba para encontrar proveedores que produzcan mercancías electorales rápidamente y las vendan en línea rápidamente”.

Tang dijo que Estados Unidos debería desarrollar un sector manufacturero que se centre en productos de alto valor, no en los baratos como las mercancías electorales estadounidenses.

Muere a los 63 años Fernando Valenzuela, legendario lanzador mexicano de los Dodgers

Por
EFE
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El exbeisbolista mexicano Fernando Valenzuela murió este martes. EFE/ Isaac Esquivel

 El mexicano Fernando Valenzuela, emblemático lanzador de los Dodgers y de las Grandes Ligas, falleció este martes a los 63 años.

«Los Dodgers lamentan el fallecimiento del legendario lanzador Fernando Valenzuela. Fernandomanía por siempre, Fernandomanía forever», publicó el equipo angelino en la red social X con una imagen del pícher zurdo.

La MLB también se hizo eco de la pérdida irreparable del símbolo del béisbol latinoamericano, quien con el dorsal 34 y apodado ‘el Toro’ se convirtió en un ídolo en Los Ángeles.

“Nos entristece profundamente enterarnos del fallecimiento del ex gran jugador de los Dodgers, Fernando Valenzuela”, publicó en un comunicado la MLB.

Nacido el 1 de noviembre de Navajoa, Valenzuela falleció este martes por presuntas complicaciones hepáticas que habrían causado un colapso multiorgánico.

El fallecimiento de Valenzuela se produce a solo tres días del inicio de la Serie Mundial, en la que sus amados Dodgers enfrentarán a los Yanquis de Nueva York.

Más allá de las 11 temporadas en las que mostró su talento en el terreno para los Dodgers, tras su retiro, Valenzuela tomó el micrófono y por los últimos 22 años como locutor en español del conjunto angelino, que el año pasado retiró el número 34 que utilizó el estelar serpentinero mexicano en su etapa como jugador.

Como pocos peloteros pueden hacerlo, Valenzuela marcó su terreno desde su llegada a las Grandes Ligas en 1981, con la “Fernandomanía”, cuando a sus 20 años comenzó su primera temporada completa con marca de 8-0 y efectividad de 0.50, para terminar con un registro de 13-7, mientras lideró la Liga Nacional en aperturas (25), juegos completos (11) blanqueadas (8), entradas lanzadas (192.1) y ponches.

Esta actuación lo llevó a conquistar los premios Novato del Año de la Liga Nacional y el premio Cy Young, siendo además una figura determinante para llevar a Los Ángeles a la conquista del título de Serie Mundial en 1981, en una postemporada en la que tuvo marca de 3-1, con 2.21 de efectividad en cinco partidos.

A lo largo de sus 17 temporadas en las Grandes Ligas, Valenzuela dejó un récord de 173-153, con un porcentaje de carreras limpias permitidas de 3.54 en 453 partidos, de los cuales inició 424, compilando 2.930 entradas lanzadas, en las que recetó 2.074 ponches, mientras vistió las franelas de Dodgers, Padres de San Diego, Angelinos de California, Cardenales de San Luis, Filis de Filadelfia y Orioles de Baltimore.

Valenzuela lideró la Liga Nacional con 21 victorias en 1986, mismo año en el que lanzó 20 partidos completos.

El histórico lanzador mexicano fue parte del Juego de Estrellas en las seis ediciones que fueron celebradas de 1981 al 1986.

How to vote by mail in Pennsylvania: a step-by-step

Por
ACLU Pennsylvania
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(Foto: Archivo)

Guide

Did you know that any eligible voter in Pennsylvania can vote by mail? That’s right! With just a few simple steps, you can ensure your voice is heard without the hassle of waiting in line on Election Day.

Step 1: Request Your Mail-In Ballot

The first thing you need to do is request your mail-in ballot. The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is Tuesday, October 29. But don’t wait! Do it now. You have three options to apply for a mail ballot:

1. Online: Visit vote.pa.gov to request your ballot easily.

2. By Mail: Fill out a form and send it in.

3. In Person: Head to your county election office for assistance.

Step 2: Fill Out Your Ballot

When your ballot arrives, take your time to make your selections carefully. Here’s how to prepare it for submission:

1. Place the completed ballot in the secrecy envelope.

2. Then, put the secrecy envelope inside the return envelope.

3. Don’t forget to sign and date the return envelope where indicated! If you skip this step, your vote won’t count.

Step 3: Return Your Ballot

Now that your ballot is ready, it’s time to return it. You have several options:

● By Mail: Drop your return envelope in a mailbox.

● In Person: Bring it to your county election office.

● Drop Box: In some counties, you can also use designated mail ballot drop boxes.

Important Note

If you’re returning your ballot in person, remember that you can only return your own ballot. However, if you have a disability, you can designate someone to return it on your behalf. Learn how at the Pa. Department of State website.

Final Deadline

Make sure your county receives your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day. This is crucial for ensuring that your vote counts! If it’s getting close to Election Day, November 5, and you don’t want to risk the postal service not delivering your ballot on time, you can hand deliver your ballot to your county’s elections office. Some counties also provide drop boxes, which provide direct delivery to the elections office. Find out where your county accepts hand delivery at this link.

Need Help?

If you encounter any voting problems or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can call or text the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for assistance.

Get Ready to Vote!

As we approach November 5th, remember the rallying cry, “Todos PA’ las Urnas!” Make sure your vote counts and participate in shaping the future of your community.

For additional resources on voting rights and information, visit ACLU-PA’s Voting Rights page.

More Republicans are voting early, helping break records. Nearly 19 million ballots cast so far

Por
Associated Press
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voting
Students at The University of Wisconsin-Madison fill out ballots during the first day of Wisconsin's in-person absentee voting on the campus in Madison, Wisc., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Photo: AP/John Hart, Wisconsin State Journal)

With former President Donald Trump’s encouragement, Republicans are voting early again, flocking to the polls for in-person voting a head of Election Day and helping push the national number to nearly 19 million.

The early turnout is breaking records in swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina.

The GOP hopes this surge of early votes will fix a mechanical problem that some in the party blame for costing it the 2020 presidential election and key races in 2022. Campaigns usually want their voters to cast ballots ahead of Election Day so they can focus their resources on getting more marginal supporters to the polls at the last minute.

Republicans excelled at that before Trump turned against early in-person and mail voting in 2020, as he spun wild conspiracies about the process and convinced his supporters to wait until Election Day to cast their ballots. But the party is again pushing its voters to cast their ballots early, and the former president is largely encouraging the change.

“I am telling everyone to vote early,” Trump said on a podcast last week hosted by conservative Dan Bongino, who has widely spread false information about early voting and the 2020 election.

Campaign signs for candidates cast a shadow on the street during early voting at Lark Library, Oct. 21, 2024, in McAllen, Texas. (Photo: AP/Delcia Lopez/The Monitor/File)

Republicans seem to be responding. In Nevada, where Democrats for decades relied on a robust early vote to counter the GOP on Election Day, about 6,000 more Republicans than Democrats had actually cast early ballots this year as of Tuesday, according to Associated Press research.

It’s unclear what this means for the election, however. The early vote data only reveals whether voters are registered with a party, not who they are voting for, and the early electorate can change from day to day as more people vote early.

The surge in 2020 Democratic early voting was largely a reaction to a pandemic that no longer exists, skewing historic comparisons. And what might seem like demographic trends in the early vote can suddenly disappear once Election Day votes are factored in.

It also is still very early in the voting process. The last of the seven swing states, Wisconsin, kicked off its early voting Tuesday morning, and the 17.4 million voters who already have cast ballots this year represent only about 11% of the number of total ballots in the 2020 presidential election. Parties can run up leads in the early vote and then see them vanish on Election Day because all their supporters have already cast ballots and the other side has not.

“The Democrats are still, as far as I can tell, banking more early votes. It’s just less of a disadvantage for Republicans,” said Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida who carefully tracks the early vote. But, McDonald cautioned, “we don’t know if this is a shifting of furniture yet or an added strength for Republicans.”

Local candidates are seen under a patriotic canopy during early voting at the Hidalgo County Annex, Oct. 21, 2024, in Edinburg, Texas. (Photo: Delcia Lopez/The Monitor/File)

One thing is clear — the return to bipartisan early voting has helped bust records. North Carolina and Georgia both reported record turnout on their first day of in-person early voting, despite the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, and it has spilled over into states that aren’t competitive at the presidential level, such as South Carolina, which reported its own record when it opened early voting Monday.

James Blair, the political director for Trump’s campaign, said its data shows that more of its low-propensity voters are casting ballots early than those who might be expected to support Vice President Kamala Harris.

“The starting point is, we’re in a strong spot,” Blair said.

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republicans still seem to have an aversion to mail balloting. They’ve improved their share of the mail vote in several states but still lag Democrats. That’s particularly true in Pennsylvania, the biggest electoral prize among the seven swing states and one that does not have a traditional early in-person voting option.

Democrats there have sent in about 350,000 more mail ballots than Republicans as of Tuesday. But the GOP is making up ground by voting early in-person in most competitive states.

People lineup to vote on the first day of Wisconsin’s in-person absentee voting at the Madison Public Library in Madison, Wisc., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Photo: AP/John Hart, Wisconsin State Journal)

Nonetheless, years of sowing conspiracy theories about early and mail voting have taken a toll on the conservative electorate. At Elon Musk’s first solo event in support of Trump last week, he encouraged the crowd to vote early, an entreaty that some in the audience responded to by shouting back, “Why?”

Even with those reservations, some analysts said Republicans would rather have an early vote parity than not.

John Couvillon, a Louisiana pollster who usually works for the GOP and carefully tracks the early vote, noted that Democrats have dominated the early vote during recent election cycles. Their current position, Couvillon said, “is the equivalent of being down three touchdowns at halftime and thinking you can score four touchdowns in the second half.”

Tom Bonier, a Democratic data analyst, contended that everyone expected Republicans to return to early voting and the pandemic-inspired gaps to close. He said he’s not concerned.

People walk past a Vote sign on the first day of early voting in the general election, Oct. 21, 2024, in Miami. (Photo: AP/Lynne Sladky/File)

“I’m impressed the Democratic numbers are as strong as they are,” he said.

The main takeaway, Bonier said, is that the high rates of voting show an enthusiastic electorate on both sides.

“If either side thought the other side would stay home this election, that’s obviously not the case,” he said.

Penn State agrees to pay $1.25 million to resolve false claims act allegations relating to Non-Compliance with contractual cybersecurity requirements

Por
PR/CP
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Penn

PHILADELPHIA. – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) has agreed to pay $1,250,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in 15 contracts or subcontracts involving the Department of Defense (DoD) or National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2018 and 2023, Penn State failed to implement cybersecurity controls that were contractually required by DoD and NASA and did not adequately develop and implement plans of action to correct deficiencies it identified. DoD requires contractors to submit summary level scores reflecting the status of their compliance with applicable cybersecurity requirements on covered contracting systems used to store or access covered defense information. The United States alleged that Penn State submitted cybersecurity assessment scores to DoD that reflected it had not implemented certain controls, but misrepresented the dates by which it would implement them and did not pursue plans of action to do so. The United States also alleged that in performing certain of the contracts and subcontracts Penn State did not use an external cloud service provider that met DoD’s security requirements for covered defense information.

“Federal contractors who store or access covered defense information must take required steps to protect that sensitive information from bad actors,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “When they fail to meet their cybersecurity obligations, we and our law enforcement partners will use every available tool to remedy the situation.”

“As our cyber adversaries become increasingly sophisticated, the importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding Department of Defense research, development and acquisitions information cannot be overstated,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, Naval Criminal Investigative Service Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS, along with our federal partners, are committed to investigating entities who fail to implement contractual requirements designed to protect Department of the Navy critical information.”

“Protecting the integrity of Department of Defense (DoD) procurement activities is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Failing to comply with DoD contract specifications and cybersecurity requirements puts DoD information and programs at risk.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of false claims on DoD contracts.”

“Safeguarding sensitive NASA and DoD data is crucial to ensuring that it does not fall into the hands of our adversaries or bad actors,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Steinau of NASA. “The University’s inability to adequately address known deficiencies not only put sensitive information at risk but also undermined the integrity of our government’s cybersecurity efforts. We remain committed to holding entities accountable when they fail to meet critical security standards, as demonstrated by this case.”

On October 6, 2021, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, which aims to hold accountable entities or individuals that put sensitive information at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents. Information on how to report cyberfraud can be found here.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Matthew Decker, former Chief Information Officer for Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory, to receive a $250,000 share of the settlement amount. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Decker v. Pennsylvania State University., No. 2:22-cv-03895 (E.D Pa.).

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from NCIS, NASA-OIG, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Naval Audit Service, the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center, and the Air Force Material Command.

The matter was handled in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca S. Melley and Peter Carr and Auditor Dawn Wiggins.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Former Montgomery County Restaurant Owner sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for PPP and RRF loan fraud

Por
PR/CP
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sentenced
(Foto: Ilustrativa/Pexels)

PHILADELPHIA. – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Giuseppina “Josephine” Leone, 62, of North Wales, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh to 21 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a $50,000 fine and $300 special assessment for pandemic program fraud. The Court denied the defendant’s request for a non-custodial sentence. The defendant has also paid full restitution in the amount of $972,861.75.

Leone was charged by indictment on May 16, 2024, with three counts of wire fraud for making false representations in documents relating to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Restaurant Revitalization Fund (“RRF”) program, which provided emergency financial assistance to business owners suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. She pleaded guilty to those charges on May 23.

Leone and her husband were owners of Ristorante San Marco (“RSM”), an Italian restaurant located in Ambler, Pa. Leone and her husband executed an Agreement for Sale of Real Property dated October 20, 2019, listing themselves as the “Sellers” of the RSM property and a third party as the “Buyer” for a purchase price of $1,575,000. Subsequently, on or about March 18, 2020, Leone posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page informing the public that RSM would be temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RSM remained closed and never reopened.

Despite the restaurant not being in operation in April 2020, Leone submitted a fraudulent application for a PPP loan in the amount of $138,000. This application misrepresented that RSM, which had been closed for approximately a month, had 17 employees, and would use the loan for payroll and other operating expenses. The fraudulent application was approved, and the loan funds were deposited into RSM’s bank account later that month. The loan was subsequently forgiven based on further misrepresentations by Leone.

In January 2021, while the restaurant was still not in operation, Leone submitted another fraudulent application for a PPP loan, this time seeking $120,000. The application made similar misrepresentations and was approved, resulting in the requested funds being deposited into RSM’s bank account in February 2021. Again, the PPP loan was forgiven due to misrepresentations by Leone.

Finally, Leone defrauded another COVID-19 relief program. While RSM was still not in operation in May 2021, Leone submitted a fraudulent application for a grant under the RRF program, requesting $699,196 for restaurant operations. This RRF application mispresented that RSM, which had not been operating since March 2020, was in operation and that the money would be used to pay employee wages. As a result of this deception, the request was approved, and the funds were deposited into RSM’s bank account later in May 2021. One month later, in June 2021, Leone closed on the sale of RSM. Nonetheless, over a year later, Leone misrepresented to the federal government that the RRF funds had been used for eligible purposes, even though RSM was never reopened by Leone.

“PPP and the other covid relief programs were meant to provide emergency aid to businesses and employees financially flattened by the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office and our partners won’t stand for opportunists like Mrs. Leone thinking they can defraud the federal government, pocket taxpayers’ money, and get away with it. We’ll continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute anyone foolish enough to do so.”

The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angella Middleton.

Vermont man sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for child pornography offenses

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Defendant Took Part in Online Catfishing Scheme to Sexually Exploit Underage Boys

PHILADELPHIA .– United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Patrick Knauss, 35, of Essex Junction, Vermont, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 265 months’ imprisonment, 15 years of supervised release, $3,000 in restitution, and a $300 special assessment for child pornography offenses.

Knauss was charged by indictment in February of this year with one count each of conspiracy to manufacture child pornography, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all three charges in June.

Over a period of more than two years, the defendant and his co-conspirators, Andrew Wolf and Kray Strange, operated an elaborate online child exploitation catfishing scheme to entice minor boys to self-produce sexually explicit images and send them to the defendants over the internet. At the time, Wolf was in his 18th year as a middle school teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia and Strange was a young adult living in Carthage, New York.

Together, the three targeted boys with large social media followings, as well as dozens of Wolf’s own middle school students. Throughout their years of near-daily communications, which amount to nearly 2,000 pages, the defendant and his co-conspirators also discussed their shared sexual interest in children and traded images and videos of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”).

Wolf and Strange both pleaded guilty to the catfishing scheme in June of 2022. On February 16, 2023, Wolf was sentenced to 466 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. On March 31, 2023, Strange was sentenced to 396 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by lifetime supervised release. They were ordered to pay a total of $324,320 in restitution to six minor victims who sought restitution.

“For more than two years, Patrick Knauss took part in a scheme that victimized dozens of children,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Knauss not only encouraged his co-conspirator, teacher Andrew Wolf, to catfish his own students, he even suggested some strategies for doing so. Know that my office and the FBI will never stop working to hold predators like this accountable and protect our children from sexual exploitation.”

“The online exploitation of children is one of the most egregious crimes the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentencing underscores that FBI and our partners are committed to safeguarding children and ensuring that those who harm them will face consequences.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.

Shapiro Administration Reminds Voters of the Oct. 29 Deadline to Apply for a Mail Ballot for the Nov. 5 General Election

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This is an official Pennsylvania mail-in ballot in Pittsburgh, Oct. 3, 2024. (Photo: AP/Gene J. Puskar/File)

Harrisburg, PA – Registered Pennsylvania voters planning to vote by mail ballot in the Nov. 5 general election have one week remaining to apply for their ballot online or in person, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said today.

The official deadline to apply for a mail ballot is Oct. 29, though Schmidt urges those who want to vote by mail to apply for and return their completed ballot as soon as possible to ensure their vote is counted.

«With just one week left to apply for a mail ballot, if you plan to vote by mail, you should apply online or in person today so that you have enough time to receive your ballot, complete it, and return it to your county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day,» Schmidt said. «Also, remember that if you apply for your mail ballot in person at your county elections office, you can complete it and return it all in one visit through Oct. 29.»

To date, more than 1,786,799 Pennsylvanians have applied for a mail ballot, which includes no-excuse mail-in and absentee ballots. The Department of State’s Elections Data page links to a downloadable Daily Mail Ballot Report, which provides point-in-time transactional data with an overview of the processing of mail-in and absentee ballots by county elections offices.

Whether they complete their mail ballot at home or at their county elections office, voters should follow these easy steps to ensure their ballot can be counted:

·    Read all instructions enclosed with the ballot.

·    Fill out the ballot by following the instructions on how to mark selections. Check both sides of the ballot in case there are races listed on the second page.

·    Seal the ballot in the yellow inner secrecy envelope marked «official election ballot.» Do not make any stray marks on the envelope.

·    Seal the yellow inner secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope.

·    Sign and write the current date on the voter’s declaration on the outer return envelope.

·    Mail or hand deliver the completed ballot to their county elections office, or hand deliver the ballot to an officially designated satellite office or drop box.

Under Pennsylvania law, a voter may hand deliver only their own ballot. The only exceptions to this rule are for voters with a disability who have designated someone in writing to deliver their ballot and for voters who need an emergency absentee ballot.

County elections offices must receive all completed mail ballots – whether they are mail-in or absentee ballots – by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. Mail ballots returned after that time, even if postmarked by 8 p.m. Nov. 5, will not count.

Polls will be open 7 a.m. through 8 p.m. on Election Day for registered voters who want to vote in person.

Voters who received an absentee or mail-in ballot may vote in person on Election Day if they bring their mail ballot materials with them to be voided.

Voters who requested a mail ballot and did not receive it or do not have it to surrender may vote by provisional ballot at their polling place. The provisional ballot will be reviewed by their county board of elections after Election Day to determine whether it can be counted.

The Department of State’s voter information website vote.pa.gov – available in English, Spanish, and Chinese – offers mail ballot applications, a polling place locator, and contact information for county elections offices. It also includes tips for first-time voters, mail-in and absentee voters, elderly and disabled voters, and members of the military.

While there are no constitutional amendments or statewide ballot questions on the ballot this general election, voters should refer to their county elections board for more information on any local ballot referendums or special elections in their voting district.

For more information on voting and elections, visit vote.pa.gov or call the Department of State’s year-round hotline, 1-877-VOTES-PA (1-877-868-3772), which offers information and interpretation services in more than 200 languages.

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