@californiaunderground · Phil Mauriello Jr.
Saved 2026-05-15 · Posted 2026-04-09 · Status: New
$4.6 million in cell phone bills 📱
California's EDD bought 7,000+ phones during COVID. COVID ended. The bills didn't. Half the phones went untouched for 2+ years. 99 were never used once. Auditors found a storage room full of boxed phones — notes on the boxes dated 2022 and 2023. Still charging. The state faces an $18 billion budget shortfall. Nobody checked the bill.
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Comments (15)
Because the system is run by incompetence, corruption and fraud, with no accountability.
At this point, are you even shocked that California just wastes money with little to no oversight? How much COVID money do you think was just wasted?
Is there any competence in California’s leadership?
I’m so over it
It would be interesting to see if Verizon or anyone associated with Verizon’s board or management donated to Gavin Newsom election campaigns.
Is this a new state auditor? Why are we finding these things out now if it’s been happening for four years?
What a waste of money, thanks to California government. And we all know who’s paying for it.
This shows we pay way to much taxes
We have auditors??????????
Why are you just now reporting this came out back in December?
Got it. Send 5 million to Israel 🇮🇱
The fact that Newsom, Bonta and Bass arent in jail tells me theres something fishy going on Federally. Im now starting to wonder if Noem and Bondi QUIT instead of being fired or demoted as well. MJT is starting to make ALOT of sense
I can totally believe this happened! I was working for EDD in California as a temp. We worked from home and yes, using those cell phones. One day my phone wasn’t working with the program so they overnighted me a new one. When I got a new job and quit there, I had to go in person drop off my equipment. They didn’t know I had two phones because no one ever sent me anything to send it back in after I got the new device. It was absolute joke working for them!
This is true! I personally found a phone that was wiped of information but still had service. I tried looking for anything on it to return it to its owner. The phone was old 4G phone. I waited to see if anyone called it looking to recover it. Someone at Verizon told me it was an Obama phone. Basically free for low income and migrants that qualified. So it was registered to the government. I later found out that these phones were never shut off even if the person reported it stolen or lost. They got a new phone and Verizon now billed two phones.
In 2024, I sent required docs to EDD. --- The 1st set was Lost. --- 2nd set was Lost. --- 3rd set, I dropped off in person. Handed it to their Rep. They Never Scanned it into the system. --- 4th set was Lost. --- 5th set, I sent to my senator, who had an EDD contact. --- It took 2-3 months to receive my first benefit check. --- In the meantime, all of my confidential info was floating around, somewhere. --- EDD needs to clean house. --- Are you DONE with the waste, fraud, abuse, shell game, lack of accountability, and complicity? - 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💪💪💪 VOTE BIANCO. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💪💪💪