# Farm Subsidy Fraud: 15 Egregious Cases 

The Trump administration’s crackdown on welfare fraud should expand the scope to cover corporate welfare, including federal farm subsidies.

January 26, 2026 • News Releases 

The Trump administration’s crackdown on welfare fraud should expand the scope to cover corporate welfare, including federal farm subsidies.

Cato scholar [Chris Edwards](https://www.cato.org/people/chris-edwards) and [Yasmeen Kallash-Kyler](https://www.cato.org/people/yasmeen-kallash-kyler) document in [a new analysis](https://www.cato.org/blog/fraud-farm-subsidy-programs) 15 major farm fraud cases since 2022 totaling over $50 million in theft. Farmers scam taxpayers through subsidy programs for wheat, soybeans, livestock, tobacco, and many other farm products.

The cases include a TV reality star stealing $4 million, four elderly sisters running an $11.5 million scam, and Colorado farmers tipping over rain buckets to boost subsidy payouts.

With $30 billion annually at stake in farm programs, this new analysis exposes systemic vulnerabilities in federal agriculture spending.

If you’d like to set up an interview on this topic, please contact Madison: [mmiller@​cato.​org](mailto:mmiller@cato.org).

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