Bob Brooks is the Democratic nominee for the Pa. 07 Congressional seat held by Republican Ryan Mackenzie. He likes to portray himself as an Everyman although he's a bit closer to a con man. Although he's finally paid off his mother-in-law's $130,000 judgment, it now appears that he outright lied when he applied for a COVID grant through Northampton County in 2021.
During COVID, Northampton County was given $30 million in American Recovery Plan federal funds to spend on relief efforts. Then Executive Lamont McClure set up a find for small businesses hurt by the pandemic, enabling them to apply for up to $15,000.
Brooks, who maintained a lawn care business, applied. The application form made clear that "knowingly making a false statement to obtain a grant" would violate federal criminal law and could result in a five-year sentence as well as a fine of up to $250,000.
According to The Free Beacon, a conservative news outlet, Brooks lied on his application. To be specific, he denied having any judgments against him despite that $130,000 judgment. In addition, there were another two open judgments from credit card companies at the time he applied for this grant.
Not only was Brooks awarded a COVID grant, but it was for the full $15,000.
Since the judgment from his mother-in-law was appealed to the Superior Court, it would be hard for him to plead ignorance.
Over 3,500 people have been prosecuted for COVID fraud nationwide. But Brooks thinks he should be elected to Congress
that matter was very much open when he applied for a COVID grant threough Northampton County
This is really serious. He could end up behind bars. This could change the whole election. Now the question is: who’ll be the first to pull their endorsement?
ReplyDeleteNow, who would actually step up to charge him? Not just that, but I expect the Morning Call to keep the whole matter hush, hush. They are squarely in his corner.
DeleteSerious and disqualifying, just like Donald Trump lying to banks to obtain loans? Established in court, could have and perhaps should have gone to jail. Guess you didn't vote for him, either? Probably 3 times? The sanctimony of the comment...and that The Beacon would embrace the same kind of "fake news" is simply astounding. Character is an electoral issue only sometimes. I guess. This isn't to absolve Brooks but to point out that character only seems to matter sometime. Brooks isn't the first candidate to have too much baggage, and the inconsistency of your thinking and others who think likewise are the real problem. And, I am not talking about Brooks...the double standard
DeleteThat's where he belongs- he's been gaming the system his entire adult life.
DeleteIt’s actually not that serious. It’s not good but it’s not going to result in serious consequences.
Delete@7:26 Trump this Trump that BLAH BLAH BLAH. Give it a rest guy. Try and focus on the topic and not your TDS for a change.
DeleteIntelligence is quaint amongst Brooks supporters.
ReplyDeleteThis is it for Bob Crook. There go the independents.
ReplyDeleteIn a recent tv ad, Brooks claims he will bring an end to Congress members making insider stock market trades. Sounds good, but just 2 days ago, his Democrat Party voted NO unanimously against a measure that would do just that!
ReplyDeleteSo does this make Brooks a good potential member of Congress or just an another good LIAR? I think that liar flaw in Brooks will remain.
Are there any politicians we can trust/ Answer NO look what they did to our country politically financially and anything they touch.
ReplyDeleteWould this be a state or federal offense?
ReplyDeleteCrooksy is clearly a liar. However, I don’t think he committed “fraud” here in the sense that he obtained the grant on a false premise as long as he used it for his lawn care business. At worst a technical violation due to the omission. Since when has being a liar been a disqualification for serving in Congress ?
ReplyDeleteThat’s the most reasonable comment here. A technical violation.
DeleteDid he stop mowing grass because of COVID? If not why did he need a loan. A true scumbag
DeleteThis loser made sure he wore his mask while cutting grass.
DeleteLock him up. CoViD fraudsters are lower than pond scum and stink even worse. DOJ, do your job.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone surprised? This crook has a history of theft and fraud and lies. But hey, he’s a democrat and against the bad orange man. When will partake up and vote for the right candidate and not the party. If he did lie, why isn’t he being charged NOW. Hey Shapiro, you still endorsing this fraud. Crooked Brooks should withdraw now. No wonder why he wouldn’t debate Mackenzie until after mail in ballots were sent out. Low life POS scum.
ReplyDeletePrediction: Brooks will be elected in a landslide. While this makes me reconsider my vote, I highly doubt any people other than devotees to this blog will know of this. Newspapers are dead and most people only get news from social media. The dumbing down of America is real.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't make a difference. The uneducated Ds will simply press the D button. Researching before voting is not in their DNA. Sadly, the same can be said for the Rs.
ReplyDeleteNORCO leadership, or lack of, proves Ds have a very low bar when it comes to elections.
ReplyDeleteShapiro rammed this guy down our throats, we had far better candidates.
ReplyDeleteSo where did the $130,000 recently come from to pay off the mother-in-law?
ReplyDeleteBernie Sanders got an equity loan on one of his 4 houses, then paid it off for Crooksy.
DeleteNot a brooks fan, but check the docket. The plaintiff filed the praecipe for judgment on 1/10/2022 after the appeal. A judgment was entered by brooks’ attorney in order to appeal in November 2020 but that is more of a procedural requirement.
ReplyDeleteThere was a verdict against him as well as a judgment before he applied for the grant. There were also two other judgments that were open at the time, so it appears that he lied. I have to wonder now whether he sought other COVID relief and whether he lied on his applications.
DeleteIf it's on appeal, it's not a final judgment. Pretty sure that was still the case way back when you still had your law license
DeleteActually, you need a final judgment in order to file an appeal. If you’re going to try to shame Bernie, at least make sure you do your homework first.
DeleteI'd dig further- once a crook, always a crook.
DeleteThis guy, is the absolute worst possible candidate- Brooks has been a grifter his entire life, and lacks any decency. What an embarrassment!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Bernie Sanders took out an equity loan on one of his 4 houses to pay off this judgement. This guy is such a loser!
ReplyDeleteBook him Danno!
ReplyDeleteI'd do a tv ad immediately! Where in the hell did Bernie Sanders find this loser? What a far cry from Croswell.
ReplyDeleteSo, a very conservative "Republican Based" news source finds some minor issues, makes them public in an attempt to smear a Democratic Candidate because their Donald Trump candidate might lose and it would put The House in control of the democrats, Yeah well you get the idea.
ReplyDeleteTranslation from someone who likrly recites NYT as gospel: "trump trump trump trump trump yaaaawn trump trump trump trump ....."
DeleteSuch a Crook!
ReplyDeleteThere is no evidence he lied. The Free Beacon did not right to know his application. They show what a blank application looks like. There is no evidence what he answered to those questions. Read the article again and look at the pictures of the form used. It’s a blank form.
ReplyDeleteYour assertion cannot stand. The Free Beacon article explicitly states, in the third paragraph (in the article’s fifth sentence) that the newspaper had obtained the COVID loan documents. The next sentence and paragraph writes that they obtained court records regarding the financial issues. What does Brooks or his staff say?
DeleteCorrect! They wouldn’t risk getting sued!
DeleteFBI Allentown hello is anybody home??
ReplyDeleteFAKE NEWS
ReplyDeleteShapiro and some political hacks in DC wanted to have a fireman so they could run cute ads.
ReplyDeleteThe governor inflicted this candidate on the Lehigh Valley.
Brooks will still win because Trump is a disaster and Little Mackenzie is his valet.
Exactly on Shapiro but wishful thinking on the win, I think we're screwed and we can thank Josh Shapiro for that. F him.
DeleteShapiro is Exhibit A when it comes to being a phony, so im not surprised he ranked this loser down our throats.
DeleteClearly the Brookes campaign knew this was coming and they started damage control with the staffer hit piece yesterday. Today they must be searching high and low for more muck to throw to create more distractions. Brooke's was always a train wreck waiting to happen. All that's missing is the NAZI tattoo, as anyone seen him without his shirt off? Asking for a friend.
ReplyDeletePlease no, the man is an overweight cretin.
DeleteMackenzie is the safest choice to occupy that seat. Have to laugh at another blogger who thinks Mackenzie should disavow Trump. Think about it, Trump will still be around for the next 2 years. Why would we want some newly-announced malcontent representing us in the House? Far better for us here to keep Mackenzie’s input and requests open for that same period of Trump in control.
ReplyDeleteBrooks is a lousy candidate. Little Mac supported the tariffs and war that pushed costs up.
DeleteNone of the above but Brooks will prevail.
According to the article:
ReplyDelete"If a client with these facts asked me whether he could sign a loan application or other legal document, stating that he had no judgments against him, I would emphatically tell him no," said Jason Banonis, an attorney with Marshall Dennehey."
Hey MAGA Jason- Riddle me this...Didn't your Fūhrer Donald Trump (and his children) do the EXACT same thing? Lying repeatedly on loan applications? Was Trump and his co-defendents barred from being an Executive of New York businesses and fined $450 million dollars?
The rule of Law is dead.
Brooks: Lie on as many loan applications as you like. Tara: Pay to play as much as you can.
You better take your Meds!
DeleteHe's too far gone. No meds can help this sad person. Every Single Day.
DeleteVote Democrat, so the can represent you as well as they educate our kids!
ReplyDeleteJust looking at this ugly slob, tells you everything you need to know. I've never seen a more unqualified candidate for any office!
ReplyDeleteI have and he became President twice
DeletePeople voted for Mr. And Mrs. McClure
DeleteObama??
DeleteThey never did a FOIA request. FOIA provisions would never release a loan application as the Free Beacon claims. This is Mackenzie BS.
ReplyDeleteNonsense. This would be discoverable under a RTK to NorCo and is expressly permitted bc it involves the expenditure of public $.
DeleteSee Brookes campaign's attempt at damage control above!
DeleteThis slob is a joke- nothing about him is authentic. He's been a scrubber his entire life.
DeleteBrooks will still win with flying colors, solo due to the fact that Republicans don’t come out and vote in non presidential elections. Brooks by 5+
ReplyDeleteBrooksy Crooksy will lose- he's the worst possible candidate.
DeleteThis isn’t being reported anywhere. The media fix is in.
ReplyDeletehttps://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/10/02/bob-brooks-covid-fraud-scandal-n2684017?fbclid=IwdGRzaAUuhuBjbGNrBS6GkWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHBkb2YFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEe8xjpG4vriNwxBtR5r6-s_G2QGeiknC0LmqCY2yPuAudb9GAO2mYMw23XZK8_aem_GpgSSLN-apBJH00dQcLZWg&sfnsn=mo
DeleteOur girl Tara just proposed…… a 43% tax increase LOL IS THIS SERIOUS
ReplyDeleteYes. Vote Brooks so he can do the same to you at the federal level.
DeleteCromwell would've won, this loser was the least qualified of all the Dems running. Shapiro really picks 'em, just like when he endorsed Ann Thomas against the empty suit Joe Emrick.
ReplyDeleteI believe Brooks has been linked to management positions in private clubs in the Nazareth area. Anyone familiar with these clubs knows that management greases their palms with illegal gambling proceeds from these clubs.
ReplyDeleteHe defrauded his family of money.
He defrauded the fed gov of covid funds.
Notwithstanding the fact that you’re more likely to see a leprechaun sitting on a pot of gold under a rainbow, than a person of color in a private club in Nazareth, Brooks appears to be a thief, embezzler and defrauder.
Where's the actual application? Produce the application or it's not true. Civil judgments did not preclude applicants from receiving CoViD funds. There's no evidence of wrongdoing here.
ReplyDeleteDon’t confuse criminality and wrongdoing. You aren’t a criminal until you’re convicted. But this guy had a long history of wrongdoing that has wronged a lot of people.
DeleteHe's screwed many people- inlaws, firefighters union, bartender, lawn boy, etc. and he's supposedly worth millions? worth looking into...
DeleteRe: 6:56AM: “...Produce the application or it’s not true. ... There’s no evidence of wrongdoing here.”
DeleteLet’s try applying that to the Curtis report. On or about 2 Dec 2025, Jaccii Farris of WFMZ filed a story regarding that report. The article said WFMZ procured a copy of a 29 page preliminary Curtis report via a Right To Know request. Ms. Whitehead’s attorney, Mr. Weinstein had a statement in the story along the line that the full report would be voluminous. Ms. Farris included several sentences quoted from the 29 page report claimed to be held by WFMZ.WFMZ, to my knowledge, has not released or published the 29 pages. This sounds to me like a nearly identical journalistic practice used by the Washington Free Beacon. If you read this blog post’s comments ripping the authenticity and credibility of the Free Beacon’s reporting, will you also make the same claims about WFMZ?
Lastly, whence the release of the full Curtis report? Appellate hearing status? Has the Whitehead suit dismissal buried the Curtis report? Where is some 1970’s Lou Grant or Catherine Graham attitude?
Erratum for my 3 Oct 11:43 comment: change “dismissal” to “verdict.”
DeleteProduce a copy of the application or this didn't happen. This is not difficult. Produce the app.
DeleteHe & his wife are the perfect couple- she wrote two $3500 checks to his campaign, in clear violation of the law: 1 under her married name, 1 under her maiden name, which is "Crooks." How appropriate!
ReplyDeleteWhen will there be a press release condemning the use of taxpayer money for political commercials that serve no public benefit?
ReplyDeleteTar and feathers?
ReplyDeleteA brilliant coup by Tara, Lamont and the SAVE GRACEDALE crowd...
ReplyDeleteThese taxes force many fixed income out of their homes & apartments right into Gracedale Khrushchevkas. Seized assets, social security & pensions will turn a county boondoggle into a glimmering profit center. Low cost communal bath & cafeteria infrastructure can sustain the masses at minimal cost. Goverment WORKS !!! What are you waiting for !!
Brooks is just a sleezy guy & has been for his whole life. Berating volunteer fireman was the last straw for me.
ReplyDeletePlus he wants Medicare for all. Talk to people in Canada about how long it takes to get appointments & why they come to the US for medical stuff. Totall unrealistic cost plus rationed service with everyone the loser.
It’s brilliant that they call it Medicare For All. That’s not what it is it’s socialized medicine which will be a complete disaster.
DeleteBrooks is the dumbest fat ass sitting at every bar I’ve ever been in.
ReplyDelete