The Truth with Lisa Boothe The Truth with Lisa Boothe: California Fraud, DEI Spending & $100B Government Waste EXPOSED
Mar 24, 2026
Chris Rufo, investigative journalist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow focused on government spending and cultural policy. He exposes alleged large-scale California waste and fraud, unpacks a $114M wildlife overpass controversy, and critiques DEI spending diverted from public safety. He also links political donors to funding flows and examines media blind spots around accountability.
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Systemic Fraud Persists Because Enforcement And Politics Fail
- California fraud is often undetected because criminal networks exploit complex paper trails and enforcement is weak amid billions of documents.
- Rufo argues the political class benefits from fraud, citing Medi-Cal's $200B flow that funds unions and sustains a corrupt cycle.
Wildlife Overpass Marked Up By Ideology And Contractors
- California built a $114 million wildlife overpass that should cost $5–$10 million in other places due to added ideological and bureaucratic costs.
- Chris Rufo found state $77M plus private funds paid for Native rituals, ceremonial offerings, and costly contractors that delayed and inflated the project.
Drivers Saw The Project But Not The Price Tag
- Local drivers reported seeing the overpass daily yet were unaware of costs or project scope until Rufo's reporting brought it to light.
- Rufo says left-leaning local press never dug into plainly available documents until his investigation surfaced them.