it posts misleading data to give the false image of the safe things to say to reopen, i refused, and i was fired and then became a public enemy number one of a of a sort of governors seeking to be president has been relentlessly stocked. harassed by members of the sanchez's staff, both on the government payroll and in this campaign. and although i've received a lot of international recognition and awards, it doesn't help you get through those really hard times. i think we'll have covered a lot of really important topics. it's to me, especially important to have that focus on the veterans affairs agencies and whistle blowers within there because we made promises to people who signed up to serve and we haven't kept them. and it's a very under appreciated, under acknowledged area to whistle blowing. attendees to the conference, had a march to the white house where they had a ceremony unfurled roses, and called for the white house to hold a ceremony in the rose garden in order to honor those whistle blowers who have

spoken up. now, there were many gas from around the world who spoke to the conference via digital hook up highlighting the situation for whistle blowers internationally. in addition to that, we had domestic speakers from the united states who took to the podium in washington dc, describing what it's like to be a whistle blower or a whistle blowers advocate in america. it's a touchy subject. where do you draw the line u. s. leaders may say they're concerned about the protections for whistle blowers. but we all know that edward snowden was forced to flee the country. and the chelsea manning spent years in prison for revealing illegal activities. former biden, stafford tar reed, was recently for us to take asylum in russia. and in addition to that, at this point, we've got julian assigned to is facing extradition from britain. because wiki leaks provided a platform for whistle blowers to publish classified in for me. some all of this

has people around the world smirking when they hear us leaders talk about human rights and workplace protections. these were among the important issues discussed at the conference in the us capital. they would mauppin party, washington dc plus the whistle blow. so the show itself doesn't carry out the is up next with his shirt, and we'll leave back for them the the good people sometimes do things. they regret,

they make mistakes that result in legal problems and sometimes those legal problems even lead to incarceration. but everybody deserves a fair trial. everybody deserves to face as accusers in a court of law. more often than not, the result is not necessarily desirous. but at the very least, that result might be that the case serves to show the public that the courts are not fair. the process is not fair. and a court of law is not necessarily the place to find justice. i'm john kerry onto welcome to the whistle blowers the . 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 a. 2 several years ago, our next guest, rosa serrano was convicted of medicaid fraud in the state of texas. rosa was the owner and sole employee of a small company that made eyeglass lenses. she was accused of overbuilding, medicaid charged with fraud and found guilty of trial. as you might imagine,

there are cases like this across the united states every single day. and they are rarely noteworthy. but this case had it all jurors who couldn't speak or understand english and effective attorneys, questionable jurisdiction, and an incompetent judge who just wanted to get the whole thing over with emmy and rosa was sentenced to 11 years in a woman's prison. but she never stopped protesting her innocence held on fictitious contempt orders transferred to federal court, held in county jail unless a plea was arrived at. and she decided to do what most whistle blowers do. take her experience and use it as a mantra. she decided to talk about her experience, not just to try to find justice for herself, but to demand justice for those americans who came after her. the american court system is broken and calling it a justice system to many of us is just a bad joke. russell serrano is here today with us. rosa,

thank you so much for joining us and welcome to the show. thank you for having me, john. i appreciate your time that you're spending on on this issue. as i like to say, let's begin at the beginning. when did your troubles start and how did you find yourself in this predicament? and so they actually began at the end of 2008. when i brought it to the attention to the state that we were being denied of payment on services that were, were required to be rendered. and uh, the stage is best to decide and i kept pursuing it. and that was when the simplest one for the economy that was about to collapse was sent to uh, all parts of the economy. and medicaid received a large portion of it and we didn't receive it as a providers. we did not receive that grant. and i was aware of it because i did, and then i found the grass that granted that money. i did bill directly to the

state before and we saw an increase on those planes. and that money was never sent to us, even though it was designated for those services. specifically, you appealed your conviction a number of times and were denied not because you didn't have a viable appeal based on actual innocence. you were denied because the judge said you were time bard, you were non compliant and that you were perhaps appealing in the wrong court. that was ridiculous, of course, but the courts just didn't want to hear it. so you re file the appeal. what happened next? as well as some things are still pending of the quarter splintered this era. in many cases, i find surprising, even though i tried to keep it as one solid case for once, all that issue is the civil rights of the june being tonight, their federal right under the medicaid act. so there's parts of it that's pending in the supreme court, and i'm hoping that this free call here at this time around. and then there's part

still in austin. and there's still a report here in el paso. but after i finish with all that, it still doesn't, it doesn't produce any outcome the as to launch in an investigation. that's the most important part of the conviction is to launch an investigation. and that should go over again to state and state will close it up to federal and we start all over again. so it's, it's an ordeal it's, it's a lengthy, a procedural or deal. and unfortunately, because of this, people are either dying or very sick. and then they need to cindy. you also raised a wide variety of different legal issues, both during your incarceration and after your release. but again, the courts just didn't want to hear it at the same time. you were being denied your medication in prison. the conditions there were very harsh and you were sent to solitary confinement. the 2nd prison finally gave you your medication,

but they took away your eligibility for parole. you complained all the way to the supreme court of the united states. how did you get your parole right back? it. um, it just it gets given to you. uh, after a certain time. uh, it's basically it took me 3 years to get back into b. pearl eligible because of what the, the, the state had done. they have made it so unbearable for me. my heart condition makes it impossible to work where they wanted me to work where they had designated work, even though i planned with them that i needed my medication. and at that point they decided that i was not sick, so they took more medication. and that was even more hardship. and then i just said, you know, i, i can't do this. i can't be doing this because i'm either going to have stroke or die. or i'm just going to have to refuse under punishment was put me 3 months or so try confinement for that. and then they transferred me over to the other prison and the other present, restore everything once they found out how sick i was. but in the process of doing

that, they stripped away all my time credits, and in doing so, i was denied the right to be released. even though i was, i should have only been a year in confinement, but parole decided that they needed to read here. but were able to take me or reform me a little better. so they helped me on longer. and that's ridiculous, you know, no criminal history at all. there's no danger to society. it is continuing, continuing to, to pursue that, you know, that investigation was launched, and that's been my fleet to ports. you know, i am actually in a sense all i have one is to use attorney to come in and investigate and look at what's being done with medicaid in terms it's. and unfortunately if that's happening in texas, it's happening across the nation. and i paid a very significant price for trying to bring this for to the use attorney. and the

courts are not helping me with this at all. and that's that because i've been denied due process. i didn't need to be punished for 3 months because i put a work because i was sick. rowse at one of the things that has struck me about your case is that you have never been given an attorney. even though your constitutional rights guaranteed access to an attorney both at the state and federal levels, how in the world this happened, and what has been the response from the government and from the courts. they haven't denied that this has happened. so how do they justify it? and they don't justify it, they just push it aside. they don't address the issue. they never can address the issue that oh, there is denial due process because he didn't get an attorney. there is a denial because of due process because even get a hearing required to have a hearing, edit attorney and pointed to me if the state to provide one for me and the state did not provide one for me in, in, in an alternative or another action that was united to this medicaid fraud charge

is just oh, past due unfortunately, is very corrupt. you know, the, the, the legal system here is, is though it doesn't exist and it's not part of the united states. and that's very surprising. so what they did started to do is it kept on another charge that didn't exist. it was completely sick dishes which is not denied. and they typed that on, but they decided, oh we don't, she didn't. so she doesn't need an attorney. she doesn't need a hearing for that. it's absurd. and, and i've been pointed this out to the courts and the pushes side step that even though it, they don't deny that i didn't get the attorney, they don't deny it and get a hearing. they just decide not to approach the subject because then that would launch an investigation. and then you know, this is 2 opportunities. you're talking about medicaid funding. you're talking about denial, due process, my personal civil rights claims that were tonight. and that would launch an investigation, and i don't see why it's so difficult for this,

for the question to say, well, just give her here and, and her attorney and have a hearing and you'll find out whether or not she's worried. and if she isn't, then in launching investigation as to what happened and hopefully the results of that is people will start getting their benefits to rosa. thank you for sharing your story with us. but don't go away. we have a lot more to talk about. we're speaking with rosa serrano who serves time in prison in texas and who has continued to fight for her legal rights, as well as for the rights of others. since her release. we're going to take a short break and ask why the court's continued to deny her whistle blower status. please stay tune. 2 2 2 2 2 the the

1941 with the nazis health relation, ultra nationalists. the u. astonishes the claim, the independent state of croatia. shortly off, the seizing power. they build the scene of us concentration camp a place associated with the worst atrocities committed in yugoslavia during world war 2. use dash is used to come system to isolate and exterminate subs, roma, jews, and other non catholic minorities, and political opponents of the fascist regime. conditions in the scene of us come

with her in the gods to which it to arise and the prisoners they send in the constitution camps. so most of them died 6 was incredible genocide. the, [000:00:00;00]

the known in vietnam as the american war, the vietnam war, lost its almost 2 decades and dragged in numerous countries. not any time now, and then you don't see it. now. what did go on empty?

hundreds of thousands of american troops was sent to the country to back the south vietnamese on me, i got the not meant to supply american soldiers. limited resistors mercilessly burned down entire villages and spread dangerous chemicals. and lee laid up day by all right. did the americans ever fully acknowledge what they did on the vietnamese veterans ready to forgive? yes, yes yes. that's the way to the . 2 welcome back to the whistle blowers. i'm john korea. we're speaking with rosa

serrano about her experience in the texas court system and about her ongoing work to vindicate herself. and to help those texans denied access to medicare and medicaid. thanks again for being with us for us. the good to have you rosa. one of the things that has come out of your case is the fact that you are a whistle blower on the issue of access to medicare and medicaid. the courts have repeatedly tried to deny you the status of a whistleblower. tell us how you have thought that and about the work that you're doing now is a whistle blower. oh, the only thing i can do with the course is just keep raising the issue. um, they don't deny the fact that i am a whistle blower because they don't save or they don't address the issue in the, in the, in their, in their orders. they just simply don't acknowledge it, but by law that they understand that i do need the definition of it was a bar. i am a was of lower. 5 i continued to be was of lower and i will remain to be a was a lower even after this investigation,

whichever last because i'm not going to let anyone miss used to medication for, for their own personal use, and that's with age hmo. second of this, the thing is it, this, the courts failure to provide me and label we use. it was lower case of large part in the investigation. and that's all i need is an investigation. and that's all i'm asking for, investigate, look at what i'm talking about, show you where it's at. here's the proof. here's the evidence of it supports that. i'm with supply. i, you know, if you never level me is always a board, but of course it's insignificant. if you watch an investigation, you need to put an investigation for and if you decide, oh well she is always the floors is protected and she should never been prosecuted . well, that's subsequent now because i've already been to prison and i've already been punished for something i didn't do. so it doesn't matter. now whether the label wasn't more or not,

the only thing is i need the investigation. so people can start getting their benefits. it's that simple. nobody wakes up in the morning and says, today i'm going to be a whistle blower. it just happens. how does it happen for you on this issue? i know that you have worked with children in the past, including providing them with free eyeglasses. is that what made you look into medicaid, especially for children and for the poor while we were was, or the existing business before. uh all this started and i've been in, i was in business for 25 years and so i have to close when i became incarcerated. so i've always taken medicaid in, in that sense, but medicaid expanded its programs. so then i, sir, i was able to advertise and assist for children. but then when this happened, that there were retaliate even removing contracts as 9 claims and underpaying claims in lena, this little,

the games that they were playing just fine excuses not to take claims and accusing me twice of fraud. and i cleared that, you know, twice except for this 3rd time because there was a legal legal thing without an attorney without a hearing in jail until i would be guilty. and it said not to. and that's where i ended up in prison for that reason. but the kids i would always attempt to kids and focus on the kids, you know, and then this is probably from 2007 up to 2014. that was the majority of the kids that i did help under the program because at that point we just were of our contract, our funding was totally ending in that part of and unfortunately, you know, parents would come in and replace their i were with us because we did also advertising of medicaid does provide fee, perfect eyeglasses, and then after that, if the child breaks them or use them or scratches or breaks,

or they're entitled to another pair. and the possible, the idea of the glass is for the child to wear them. so they're gonna be able to see and be able to academically progress. we're hoping that that, that's the reason why the child is not, is unable to progress and academically with just a simple resolution as a pair of glasses. so, you know, depleting all my funding and plus not getting paid from from medicaid because of because i was, i was, i've spoken about the services that being denied, but i was still providing them, you know, i, i was having to turn people away. but i did, one child came up to me, you know, pretty sad and, and her mom said, well, hurt. she broke her glasses and i explained to her that i wasn't able to offer her anymore services because the contract had been cold and my funds have been for 3 to 3 days. and i told her i would charge you

a minimal fee to replace the free because that was what's broken. and we could re insert the lenses into the frame, etc, that will be sufficient. and so she said she was willing to do that because anybody else will charger, something ridiculous. and so i said okay, fine we, we went ahead and did that. the next day the child comes in, she puts on her glasses and she turns to her mom, she goes, mom, i can see now. and after that i just said, i need to keep point forward. you know, as trivia that is a pair of glasses. is they did this with the i were, you know, it was the use attorney investigates how much more damage of the done to these children. what has been the response, whether by the courts, by law enforcement, or by the media to you revelations, about medicaid. i know that fox news in el paso, texas briefly took an interest. but what about everybody else? everybody else has been waiting for the yeah. or see a mess or a teachers to come in and say, you know, if we discover or the use attorney,

we've discovered some fraud and we've investigated and found that, you know, services are being denied to the children. but other than that, providing you evidence to the, to the media is showing them exactly where the file was call, you know, and they simply were saying, we're just, we're larry about this because it's just too big of a story number. we don't know that the f b, i hasn't taken an interest and when i went to the f b, i is just ridiculous what their proceedings are and procedures are about these kind of planes. they're just, you know, the super go to the state, the state of oceans, not happy with the reimbursement rate. and, you know, even though i pointed out to the, to the f b, i, this is what the contracts is. this is the services i have to provide under the contract under federal law, and i'm not getting paid for it. but yet, the contract says i am going to get paid for it. and this specifically numerate, the number you know, the claims and the procedures that i'm going to pay for and they don't do it. they

decide that they're just gonna withhold payment for the exact amount that supposedly they and now they're going to pay, but they don't. and the, you know, the difference is, is a disparity between what the state pays and what the age hmo pays is about a $1225.00 difference that they've pocket. but the age hmo keeps big, big. this is the sir. this is for services that had been paid for the child to receive is not something that the issue most entitled to that's a misconception about medicaid and this is a misconception that texas has about the is that oh it's okay. we have a contract with the to know the to will can pretty much decide what claims that they're going to pay and not pay at what rate and yeah, and that's what the medicaid expansion does. it prevents death and texas doesn't have that unfortunately. so until texas does that, the agents are going to continue to manipulate medicaid. and that's very

unfortunate because of people who suffer are the children you have not received any assistance from whistle blower organizations. this is a 3 part question. first, where do you intend to go next? second, would you do it all over again? and finally, what advice would you give to somebody considering blowing the whistle? well being under law enforcement's microscope. yes sir, and are pursuing it even is even when i'm pray, even when the investigation is ever done and successfully and determines that there is fraud and things, i will always be an advocate for medicaid because it's essential. i i, i did this for years, john, i saw the children, girl, you know, i saw them how it affected a pair of glasses. it's trivial as it was for just a simple pair of glasses. i saw how it was an impact in their life. so i, my journey has no, it's not going to and just be by doing this, reading this as a,

what's the floor. so it's just going to be something that i'm going to continue to do through the ports to i get a resolution. and, you know, hopefully reach out to the use attorney or the user to reach out to me and say, here's a proof, you know, what, what other evidence do you need? and you know, if they, they can see that with the glasses, they need to look into the hospitals, the doctors, the clinics, the labs, everywhere else where this money got displaced. this been going out since 2008. we're talking about 15 years of corruption. 15 years of losses for texas, we're not talking a few 1000000 fit. a few $1000000.00 are talking billions of dollars have been lost for texas residents. and that's very unfortunate. you know what i do it again. yes

. because i saw what the children went through without the tasks and i saw how an impact was for them when, when i was able to help them through those eaves and i saw them all. so you see the, the, the investment you see the, the, the growth of the child and how they developed, you know, and they did academically well in school. rosa serrano, thank you so much for joining us. and thank you to our viewers. i'd like to leave you with the words of the great author ts eliot, who said, quote, every moment is a fresh beginning on quote. along with the immortal words of st. francis of assisi who told us start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible. and suddenly you're doing the impossible. thanks for joining us for another episode of the whistle blowers. i'm john kerry. aku, we'll see you next time. 2 2 2 2 2

the se 98, the punch and rico became a us colony, but still retained its own cultural identity and speak in favor of independence. we be thrown into prison today, close to half its population. the grow, the residents of puerto rico have new representation in congress and con, booked and us presidential elections. like, okay, we're gonna make you american citizens, which you didn't ask for, even if we were offered citizenship and we would prefer one say, gonna using these 2 entities. he chose the flight, so he's homelands independent. we felt that we could generate more of a spirit of resistance rather than submissive. accept our reality. and we fell asleep. shockingly unfair, my sorry that i decided to fight for my country. no, not could i have done things differently?

yes, absolutely. do i now think that violence is not the means to achieve anything? a small this invest a little issue, but for the mobile, when you go annual g d p per capita is about 4000 euros prod, software scholar and a mobile cuz i'm really watched here the sleep of man. i've got a near planet across the field from where this really into photo. mm hm. so you should find them all the classes, nature little spot, the, the single thought of unemployment is off the charts. most of us territorial integrity and sovereignty. we respect the country which enjoys financial support from the us, n d. u is constantly roles by political and corruption scandals. but all

the students don't know do, but it's a new candidate status in 2022. the developing news here on august the moral code the past 3 days of morning following a method of great pain, the lives of more than 1500 people. india has proposed a permanent membership for the african union in g 20. i'm confident that we have consensus on this proposal. the, the group of 20 summit helping here in india for the 1st time i've g 20 is said to