Slashing Bureaucracy, Restoring Honesty

Trump knows what he is doing. Slashing bureaucracy restores honesty. Half my life has been slashing bureaucracy, understanding their tricks, how they feel entitled, break the rules, normalize rule-breaking, and block accountability. From Reagan’s White House to oversight investigator for Gingrich, litigator to dismantler, I know all their tricks. In Maine, it is worse.

Sadly, power tends toward abuse. Bureaucrats cheat taxpayers. These cheaters do not lose their jobs when work is unfinished, self-dealing, or misdirection occurs. Trump is fixing that.

The same needs to happen in Maine, stopping dishonest NGOs from taking money from taxpayers, Medicaid fraud, overbilling, Democrat legislators’ self-dealing, 4,500 contracts reportedly sole-sourced, non-competed, given to friends, and whistleblowers persecuted.

So, what are the tricks Democrat-affiliated bureaucrats play, beyond abusing power to silence their critics, threatening to take private rights, livelihoods, and misusing the criminal justice system? Here are some…

Hide the money. When I got to State and was commissioned to find waste in a $2 billion operation, having already done years of oversight investigations,  I knew what to look for.

After money is appropriated, it goes to the Executive for apportioning to departments. Cabinet leaders dole out money to those managing programs. In Maine, Democrats do not even compete for many contracts. Once a contractor is picked, money is “obligated.” Next trick? Money not spent in time is “obligated” to “escrow accounts,” run by friendly contractors, used as they wish later.  

Favor Friends. Since bureaucrats spend their lives in cubicles with “yes/no” power over contracts and regulations, they favor contractors friendly to them, who give them things, take them places, get close to them, make them feel important, and offer future jobs.

How do they do this? Dozens of ways, hidden from The People. They pretend to abide by laws requiring “free and open competition,” but give to friends. In Maine, a fifth of the State’s budget, $2.1 billion, went to “questionable” contracts, with no oversight, and names not released.

Cheat by Habit. Likewise, Democrat bureaucrats do not object when favored contractors overprice services, add task orders, no competition. They look the other way, cheating a habit.

Invoice Cheats. They permit general invoicing, no specifics – even if required – on hundreds of thousands, then millions in unchecked invoices. Unless stopped by an aggressive oversight investigator, inspector general, whistleblower, or Governor, it all goes unnoticed.

In egregious cases, false invoices are presented, paid, no question. Why? Too many employees at departments, agencies, commissions, thousands of contractors – too many white rabbits to chase.

Salary doubling. Government contractors – unlike the private sector – can double the price of an employee hired for “personal services.” If a bureaucrat wants a friend, just add “admin cost.”

False Oversight. While much is made of oversight committees, freedom of information (FOI) requests, and inspectors general audits to protect taxpayers, even they can be corrupted. Oversight agencies and committees pick, choose, protect, and abuse, perpetuating themselves. Oversight needs to be non-political, but seldom is.

Sub stiffing. Contractors often cheat their own subs, but since bureaucrats see success as money spent, no need for oversight. On the flip side, corrupt contractors – with weak conflict of interest laws in Maine – can repay bureaucrats and Democrat legislators’ campaigns.

“I See Nothing.”  While the False Claims Act allows the government to recover from dishonest contractors, falsity must be reported and pursued – by the bureaucrats. Often, the bureaucrat, who has control over visibility, says, “I see nothing.” Remember Sergeant Schultz?  

Find, fine, rehire. Too often, when major fraud is discovered, outed, and fined, that is it. The process does not include firing or blocking rehiring. They pay a fine, get rehired. In the Maine context, by analogy to Chinese grow houses, they get reported, shut down, and reopen the next day.

Job bribes. Contractors want to win money. With Trump on the hunt, all that clicking is emails being deleted by the bureaucracy, because Trump knows about many of these tricks. Example: Look at contracts let by mid-level bureaucrats, and where they end up later working. Same for politicians who push money to friends; there is a non-trivial correlation. In Maine, like in DC, bureaucrats and politicians who break the law need to be prosecuted.  Without integrity, nothing.

Year-end Slush. Notice how budgets keep rising. They do because Democrat legislators are irresponsible, and bureaucrats have a rule: Spend everything, wildly if needed, as next year’s budget depends on it. We need to stop that cold -with real, zero-base budgeting.

Keep poor records. Poor records, unreported integrity violations, and looking the other way are how cheats help cheats. The federal government recorded 109,000 contracts in 2023; GAO found most had no oversight. In DC, Trump is fixing that. Maine now needs to demand accountability. Bottom line:  The bureaucracy – nationally and in Democrat-controlled Maine – has unwritten rules that help them cheat, keep power, jobs, and influence, redirect money, and blind the taxpayers. Nationally and in Maine, that MUST stop – or we will be forever victimized by corrupt leaders.

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!