Dept. has “duty to detect waste, fraud and abuse involving education funds”
Kenneth Wright had a rude awakening Tuesday morning when a team of 15 officers sent by the U.S. Department of Education stormed through his California home, reported KXTV, the local affiliate of ABC News. Wright claims that the officers then placed him in handcuffs and forced him into a squad car where he remained for six hours.
Although it was originally reported that the raid was to do with the unpaid student loans taken out by Wright’s estranged wife, that claim has since been refuted by the Department of Education. Instead, it was related to some other fraud. However, a spokesperson confirmed to the Huffington Post that a search warrant was served by the agency’s Office of the Inspector General, which serves up to 35 search warrants each year.
It may seem a like overkill that the U.S. Department of Education has police authority to order full-scale raids, but they do. The department was given that right under the Homeland Security Act in 2002, according to the ABA Journal.
Last year, the Washington Post reported that the department purchased 27 shot guns. In a statement explaining their purchase, the department stated that they are “responsible for the detection of waste, fraud, abuse, and other criminal activity involving Federal education funds, programs, and operations,” and thus need the new rifles “to replace older and mechanically malfunctioning firearms.” When asked when the rifles might be used, the department did not offer any more details.