Bock responded a few days later: “Yes, I agree.”
Despite that communication, Bock continued to approve large reimbursement claims to Xogmaal, Wilmer testified, with the jurors seeing three checks totaling almost $500,000 from Bock to the organization in summer 2021.
On cross examination, Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, suggested that Feeding Our Future might have investigated the allegations and terminated Xogmaal or other sites that broke the rules.
“I haven’t seen any evidence that suggested she investigated these concerns,” Wilmer responded. “She certainly didn’t stop the claims from continuing.”
Feeding Our Future went from receiving about $3 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Prosecutors have alleged throughout the case that meal counts were grossly inflated with fake attendance rosters and invoices to rake in millions of dollars from U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. The money was used to buy participants luxury cars and houses, not feed kids, the government contends.
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