Watchdog groups continue to push for transparency over who received PPP

More than half a million businesses received the federal funds the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The

LOANS THROUGH THEPAYCHECKPROTECTIONPROGRAM.THESE ARE LOANSTHAT BUSINESSESMAY NOT HAVE TO PAYBACK.ALICIA NIEVESSHOWS US WHYWATCHDOG GROUPSWHO FOUGHT FORTHISTRANSPARENCY... ARENOW PUSHING FORACCOUNTABILITY.PKG FULL=A list of businesses thatreceived forgivablePaycheck ProtectionProgram loans from thefederal government, hasjust beenreleased...[flashheadlines]Bringing tolight, that millionaires,billionaires, and even acelebrity...Receivedfederal aid intended tohelp struggling smallbusinesses.(@3:27)"From the veryoutset the public,watchdogs, and electedofficials had a very goodreason to want data tosee where this moneywas going because aswe just learned we hadgood reason to bequestioning 'is thisprogram going to dowhat it was intended todo?'" R.J.

Cross is withthe watchdogorganization, U.S. PublicInterest ResearchGroup... known asPIRG...Which pushed forthe data release and nowis pushing foraccountability.

(@6:25)"Abig improvement on theprogram would be trueaudits on all of the loanamounts, that say if wefind that you could'veprobably gotten moneysomewhere else we aregoing to take thosetaxpayers dollarsback."Currently onlyloans over two milliondollars will be audited,but most of the loanstaken out... includingsome by millionaires andbillionaires...Were justbelow that threshold.(@9:07)"So we don'thave any proof to saythat they picked thatamount strategically but itcertainly raisesquestions."Watchdoggroups say the only wayto answer thosequestions, for theAmerican people, iscontinued transparencyand expanded audits.(@17:02)"fraud andcorruption are a realconcern anytime thegovernment isspendingand givingmoney to companies andespecially the pace inwhich it is happeningright now, and theamount of secrecy theadministration hasinsisted there should bearound some of thesefunds even when wehave been promised truetransparency... meansthat there is reason tokeep a very close eye onwhat is happening next.The biggest bailout inU.S. history deserves themost transparency in u.s.history." I'm Alicia NievesreportingANCHOR TAG=RIGHT NOW IT IS JUST'WAIT AND SEE'... ONWHETHER THE SMALLBUSINESSADMINISTRATION ANDTHE TREASURYDEPARTMENT WILLMAKE A MOVE TOAUDIT MORE OF THELOANS.IF EITHER DOES... ITCOULD BE YEARSBEFORE WE SEE THEOUTCOME OF AUDITS.RIGHT NOW IT ISJUST 'WAIT AND SEE'...ON WHETHER THESMALL BUSINESSADMINISTRATION ANDTHE TREASURYDEPARTMENT WILLMAKE A MOVE TOAUDIT MORE OF THELOANS.AHEAD IN SPORTS...