Blood Thirsty Republicnan Target Chris Brown, Rappers & Musicians Over COVID Relief Fraud
Published on 05/02/2026 08:03 PM
Chris Brown got called out on the Senate floor this week for using federal pandemic relief money to throw himself an $80,000 birthday party while taxpayers footed the bill.
Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, didn’t hold back when she invoked the rapper’s name during debate over a bill extending fraud prosecution timelines for COVID relief programs.
Ernst said Brown exploited the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant to pay for his lavish celebration and cut himself a $5 million check from the same fund.
The SVOG program was supposed to help struggling arts venues and entertainment businesses survive lockdowns, but according to Business Insider, wealthy musicians turned it into a personal piggy bank.
Brown’s company, CBE Touring, received a total of $10 million.
Beyond the birthday bash with nude dancers in body paint and $29,000 in bottle service, he also charged taxpayers $24,000 to drive his tour bus to Tulum, Mexico, for a month-long vacation where he didn’t perform.
More than $179,000 went toward a celebrity basketball tournament on YouTube.
Brown wasn’t alone in the scheme, according to blood thirsty Republicans.
Lil Wayne spent $1.3 million on private jets and over $460,000 on designer clothes from Gucci and Balenciaga using his $8.9 million grant.
Post Malone, Marshmello, Alice in Chains, Steve Aoki, and others all received millions and spent it on personal expenses while their touring crews got scraps.
The Government Accountability Office found that roughly $10 billion in improper payments went out through the program, more than 200 times the initial fraud estimates.
The Senate passed a bill extending the statute of limitations from five to ten years, giving prosecutors more time to pursue fraud charges.
More than 2,000 people have already been sentenced for pandemic aid fraud, but none of the major artists have faced criminal charges yet.
Brown’s legal team didn’t respond to requests for comment, and he’s never been charged with any crimes related to the grants.