Government & Policy · Week of Nov 2, 2026
Election security and fraud cases lead the week in policy releases
Justice Department releases dominated the week, covering election security, fraud, espionage and child exploitation cases, plus a school safety bill.
Seven of the eight releases this week came from the Justice Department, and two centred on elections. The department says it will monitor elections in all 50 states for the first time, while an Oklahoma man was charged over threatening letters containing non-toxic white powder sent to state election officials, members of Congress, the FBI and others.
Fraud against federal programs was another thread. Lab Genomics LLC and its owner agreed to a $1.25 million False Claims Act settlement over alleged marketer kickbacks, and a Los Angeles woman was indicted over an alleged $18 million PPP and EIDL scheme. Other Justice items included a guilty plea for spying for Ethiopia and two child sexual abuse cases, including a 40-year sentence for a former Kokomo police officer. Outside the department, GeoComm addressed location data in federal school safety legislation inspired by Alyssa's Law.
Justice News
California Laboratory and Its Owner Pay $1.25M to Settle Allegations of Kickbacks to Marketers
Lab Genomics LLC and owner Leena Dalal agreed to pay $1.25 million to resolve allegations that they paid value and volume-based commissions to three marketers to induce laboratory test referrals from January 2020 through September 2022. The Justice Department says the claims are allegations only with no determination of liability, and whistleblowers Sunil Wadhwa and Ken Newton will receive $225,000.
Justice News
Oklahoma Man Charged in Connection with Sending Threatening Letters Containing Non-Toxic White Powder to Election and Government Officials Across the Country
Robin Patrick Martin, 67, of Oklahoma City, was charged with conveying false or misleading information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications. The Justice Department says the letters, containing non-toxic white powder, went to state election officials, members of Congress, the FBI and others.
Justice News
Former U.S. Government Contractor Pleads Guilty to Spying for Ethiopia
Abraham Teklu Lemma, 53, of Maryland, a former IT contractor at the National Reconnaissance Office, the State Department and the Justice Department, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage on behalf of the government of Ethiopia. The case concerns a contractor with access across several federal agencies.
GeoComm, Inc
GeoComm Highlights the Role of Location Intelligence in Federal Alyssa's Law Proposals
GeoComm says bipartisan school safety legislation inspired by Alyssa's Law points to a model in which emergency alerts, 9-1-1 and response-ready maps work together. The company is positioning location intelligence as part of the federal proposals Congress is considering.
Justice News
Utah Minor Recovered by Law Enforcement After Oregon Man Allegedly Transported the Victim to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity
An Oregon man is in federal custody, charged with transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity after allegedly meeting a Utah minor online in May 2025 and driving the victim across state lines. The Justice Department says the minor was recovered by law enforcement.
Justice News
DOJ To Monitor Elections in All 50 States for First Time
The Justice Department says it will monitor elections in all 50 states for the first time. The department notes it has sent election monitors since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 across all Administrations.
Justice News
Former Kokomo Police Department Officer Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Minor, Lying to Investigators, and Destruction of Records
Former Kokomo, Indiana, police officer Sinmi Asomuyide was sentenced to 40 years in prison and three years supervised release for the on-duty sexual assault of a 14-year-old and related obstruction. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the department takes civil rights abuses by police officers seriously.
Justice News
Los Angeles Woman Charged for $18M COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme
A federal grand jury in the Central District of California indicted Marisela Nuno, 53, of Los Angeles, over an alleged $18 million scheme to defraud the PPP and EIDL programs. The case adds to federal prosecutions tied to CARES Act relief programs.
This roundup is written with AI assistance from the press releases listed above, using only what they state. The releases are the companies' own announcements, not Core Insight News reporting.