Overview
- Sen. Joni Ernst released internal Small Business Administration messages and asked the Justice Department to investigate whether officials used the code word “Benghazi” to mask discussions of Paycheck Protection Program loans tied to Planned Parenthood.
- Emails Ernst shared appear to show senior SBA figures referencing “Benghazi (PPP/PPH) Decisions” and using the term in meeting requests about Planned Parenthood, including a message that read, “Can I schedule a meeting so we can decision Benghazi (Planned Parenthood)?”
- Reporting across the documents and letters says Planned Parenthood affiliates received roughly $88–90 million in PPP loans that were later forgiven, despite prior guidance questioning whether the affiliates qualified as small businesses.
- The SBA has told 38 Planned Parenthood affiliates to prove they were eligible for the loans or return the money, and the agency warned that false certifications could bring repayment, loss of forgiveness, and possible civil or criminal referrals.
- Ernst argues that inserting an unrelated word into subject lines can foil public-record and congressional searches that rely on keywords, which she says could violate the Federal Records Act if proven.