Call me old-fashioned, but I was raised to believe that lying is a form of deception and reflects poor character and judgment; however, lying under oath is a crime that carries consequences. For years, Americans who value truth have watched in amazement and frustration as certain figures emerged from one scandal to the next, not just unscathed but celebrated by certain segments of our society. Let’s look at one example of a person who testified about events on January 6, 2021. If you recall, many testified before Congress, wrote bestselling books, and basked in media limelight — all while serious questions about their credibility went noticeably unanswered. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
As an expert witness testifying at a deposition or in court at a trial, I must be fully aware of what I say and believe. One mistake or slip-up, and I could face a perjury charge. I don’t get a free ride or a mulligan. Opposing counsel will make sure of that.
But here’s the thing about truth: it has a stubborn way of rising from the grave. And justice, though often delayed, has a long memory. This week, that patience may finally be paying dividends for those of us who never stopped demanding honesty from our government institutions and officials.
A point of interest. Lawmakers have finally referred Cassidy Hutchinson to the Department of Justice to see if criminal charges can be brought against her. And I say “finally,” because Hutchinson is the person who testified under oath that she’d been told that President Donald Trump was so upset the Secret Service would not allow him to attend the rally at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, he literally got into a physical altercation in the presidential limo known as “The Beast.”
You remember this media circus, right? Hutchinson delivered what the media breathlessly called “blockbuster testimony” in summer 2022, claiming Trump lunged at a Secret Service agent and grabbed for the steering wheel in a fit of rage. It was dramatic. It was damning. It made for great reporting; however, by all credible accounts, it was also completely false.
The Secret Service immediately contradicted her account. Anthony Ornato, the deputy, she claimed, told her the story, denied it under oath. Even Jack Smith — hardly a card-carrying member of the Trump fan club — acknowledged during congressional testimony that the officer actually in the vehicle gave “a different version of events.” Smith noted her testimony was largely secondhand hearsay, inadmissible in any court.
So why did anyone treat this as credible in the first place? I think we all know the answer.
Another example of how our society has lowered the standards we should demand of our government officials. Last week, I received a copy of my Congressman, Brandon Gill’s, questioning Minnesota Governor Tim Walz about the massive Somali fraud scandal that has rocked Minnesota. What his questioning uncovered was staggering.
Multiple whistleblowers told Congress that Walz’s administration unleashed what they described as “nearly unbearable retaliation” against officials who tried to expose the fraud. According to their testimony, state employees were warned not to speak out about widespread fraud—or risk being labeled racist or Islamophobic. That kind of intimidation creates the perfect environment for corruption to thrive. When honest officials are silenced, fraud flourishes.
During the hearing, Governor Walz admitted something important upon questioning by Congressman Gill: identifying fraud is not racist or Islamophobic. That raises an obvious question: if exposing fraud isn’t racist or Islamophobic, why do whistleblowers say Walz’s administration warned them to stay silent or face exactly those accusations? Hardworking taxpayers deserve accountability. Anyone who facilitated this fraud against taxpayers must be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If you have followed this story, you know that Waltz has decided not to run for another term as Governor. I wonder whether he made that decision or whether it was made for him, much like Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 Presidential race.
Under Waltz’s leadership, the implicit deal was very simple, almost to the point that he got away with it. His response to the facts: ignore the fraud, smear the whistleblowers.
Here is an uncomplicated way to think about these issues: Not all lies are fraud, but almost all fraud involves lying or deception to obtain money or property, or to take advantage of someone. Let’s demand better than what we are paying for.
Prepared by Terry L. Stroud – March 2026
