On Background with Susan Crabtree

Government Accountability Institute
  • 4.3 (6)
  • POLITICS

On Background with Susan Crabtree, a Government Accountability Institute podcast, aims to expose corruption and government mismanagement through hard-hitting investigative journalism. Hosted by veteran reporter Susan Crabtree, alongside GAI’s Vice President Eric Eggers, the podcast leverages confidential “on background” insights to uncover truths behind political headlines. 

  1. Ep. 17 | Law Enforcement Under Fire in Nancy Guthrie Investigation

    1D AGO

    Ep. 17 | Law Enforcement Under Fire in Nancy Guthrie Investigation

    The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has gripped the nation, but now serious questions are being raised about how the investigation is being handled. In this episode of On Background, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers take a closer look at the FBI’s role in the case and whether all available resources are truly being deployed. They explore tensions between federal and local law enforcement, the growing controversy surrounding the use of administrative subpoenas, and the powerful influence of media attention in high-profile investigations. The episode also features Susan’s exclusive reporting on Secret Service accountability in the aftermath of Butler, adding another layer to the broader conversation about transparency and leadership in federal law enforcement. Follow on X! @susancrabtree @Eric_Eggers @Govt_Acct_Inst   Watch full episodes of On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers on the Government Accountability Institute YouTube channel.    👉 WATCH HERE👈   On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers is an official podcast production of the Government Accountability Institute.

    23 min
  2. Ep. 16 | The Homeless Fraud That Could Sink Gavin Newsom

    FEB 9

    Ep. 16 | The Homeless Fraud That Could Sink Gavin Newsom

    California's homelessness scandal explodes in this episode of On Background, as hosts Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers expose how billions in taxpayer dollars vanished into luxury mansions and campaign coffers. The Shangri-La Industries fraud reveals a system where oversight does not exist and political donations buy silence. The company's 28-year-old CFO embezzled millions for a $46,000 monthly rent on a Beverly Hills mansion, a Bentley, a Ferrari, and diamond necklaces for his girlfriend. The firm claimed $60 million in Bank of America accounts to win state contracts. The money never existed. Nobody checked. Governor Gavin Newsom received $18,000 from the fraudulent operation. He refuses to return the donations or answer questions about a mysterious additional $30,000 that funded his homelessness ballot initiative. LA Mayor Karen Bass now faces her own crisis after the LA Times exposed how she watered down the Palisades fire after-action report to hide city failures. Resources were not prepositioned. Fire trucks were not deployed. Bass was in Ghana when the fires started. The scandal has damaged her so severely that former rival Rick Caruso is reconsidering a mayoral run. JD Vance launches a new task force to investigate California fraud. This sets up a direct confrontation with Newsom ahead of 2028. The vice president's portfolio covers multiple states, but California's corruption provides the richest target. If Vance exposes the scale of waste and fraud, Newsom's presidential ambitions collapse. Crabtree reveals how utility companies responsible for deadly wildfires continue donating to Newsom's causes. PG&E and SoCal Edison funded the same $6 billion homelessness initiative that received money from Shangri-La. The Paradise fire killed 84 people in 2017. The reforms never happened. The Palisades fire burned years later. The donations never stopped. This is investigative reporting the mainstream media avoids. Follow the money from Hollywood billionaires to political elites to taxpayer-funded fraud schemes.   Follow on X! @susancrabtree @Eric_Eggers @Govt_Acct_Inst   Watch full episodes of On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers on the Government Accountability Institute YouTube channel.    👉 WATCH HERE👈   On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers is an official podcast production of the Government Accountability Institute.

    25 min
  3. Ep. 15 | Ice Raids in MN: Two Deaths, Leadership Change, and Minneapolis' Resistance

    JAN 30

    Ep. 15 | Ice Raids in MN: Two Deaths, Leadership Change, and Minneapolis' Resistance

    A deadly federal operation turns into a political crisis in Ep. 15 of On Background, as investigative journalist Susan Crabtree and co-host Eric Eggers expose how ICE raids in Minneapolis led to violent attacks against ICE, which in turn led to two deaths, and triggered a leadership shakeup at DHS. After Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer, Secretary Kristi Noem and top aide Corey Lewandowski were summoned to the White House and sidelined as Border Czar Tom Homan seized operational control. Reporter Anna Giaritelli joins from the frozen streets of Minneapolis—where windchills hit -15°F—to describe an organized leftist resistance network of 10,000+ volunteers using whistles to alert communities when ICE arrives. What began as a crackdown on welfare fraud in the Somali immigrant community has morphed into sanctuary city warfare, with Minnesota's governor and mayor forming an alliance to push federal agents out entirely. The conversation expands to California, where Rep. Kevin Kiley reveals how the Minneapolis fraud scandal ended Tim Walz's political career and why Gavin Newsom is desperately trying to distance himself from similar corruption in the state's "homeless industrial complex"—where taxpayer money disappears at rates approaching $1 million per homeless person. Kiley exposes Newsom's Prop 50 gerrymander targeting his district and explains why this is the moment to force accountability before Democrats change the narrative. Follow on X! @susancrabtree @Eric_Eggers @Govt_Acct_Inst   Watch full episodes of On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers on the Government Accountability Institute YouTube channel.    👉 WATCH HERE👈   On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers is an official podcast production of the Government Accountability Institute.

    33 min
  4. Ep. 14 | Don Lemon in the Pews: When Protest Crosses the Line

    JAN 26

    Ep. 14 | Don Lemon in the Pews: When Protest Crosses the Line

    On this episode of On Background, hosts Susan and Eric are joined by Ryan Tucker of the Alliance Defending Freedom to discuss a disruptive protest inside a church in St. Paul/Minneapolis linked to anti-ICE activism—and the presence of Don Lemon at the scene. The group breaks down why entering a sanctuary to intimidate worshipers crosses a legal and moral line, and how federal authorities may respond. Tucker explains the possible use of the FACE Act—typically tied to abortion clinic cases—to prosecute disruptions of religious services. They also critique Minnesota officials’ response, discuss church security concerns, and argue this was a coordinated action, not spontaneous journalism.

    26 min
  5. Ep. 13 | Honeypots, Spies, and Secret Service Failures

    JAN 15

    Ep. 13 | Honeypots, Spies, and Secret Service Failures

    A stunning national security scandal takes center stage in Ep. 13 of On Background, as investigative journalist Susan Crabtree breaks down a Secret Service sting that exposed shocking lapses in judgment, discipline, and leadership. Crabtree explains how an agent assigned to Vice President J.D. Vance was allegedly compromised in a honeypot operation. This raises urgent questions about manpower shortages, internal culture, and the agency’s ability to protect America’s leaders. The conversation widens to a broader crisis: ICE agents being doxxed, sensitive government information leaked, and the FBI raiding journalists’ homes in pursuit of sources. Crabtree warns that media double standards, aggressive federal tactics, and foreign adversaries exploiting internal chaos are converging at a dangerous moment. With Iran escalating threats and trust in institutions eroding, Crabtree argues the country is nearing a breaking point—and accountability may finally be unavoidable. Follow on X! @susancrabtree @Eric_Eggers @Govt_Acct_Inst   Watch full episodes of On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers on the Government Accountability Institute YouTube channel.    👉 WATCH HERE👈   On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers is an official podcast production of the Government Accountability Institute.

    34 min
  6. Ep. 12 | The Fraud Nobody Was Supposed to Find

    JAN 8

    Ep. 12 | The Fraud Nobody Was Supposed to Find

    Explosive fraud allegations in Minnesota and California are shaking Democratic leadership—and this episode of On Background breaks it all down. Investigative journalist Susan Crabtree explains why Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s sudden exit may be tied to massive fraud scandals and mounting political pressure from Amy Klobuchar. Then comes California, where Crabtree draws chilling parallels to Gavin Newsom, detailing alleged failures involving homelessness spending, wildfire recovery, utilities, COVID relief, and education funding. She argues that audits were blocked, accountability was avoided, and entrenched political interests benefited. In the meantime, the legacy media largely looked the other way. As federal scrutiny intensifies, Crabtree predicts 2026 will be a year of investigations, whistleblowers, and political reckoning for one-party rule. Follow on X! @susancrabtree @Eric_Eggers @Govt_Acct_Inst   Watch full episodes of On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers on the Government Accountability Institute YouTube channel.    👉 WATCH HERE👈   On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers is an official podcast production of the Government Accountability Institute.

    33 min

  7. 12/18/2025

    Ep. 11 | Brown University Shooting: Institutional Failure

    In this episode of On Background, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers are joined by former FBI Special Agent Rich Staropoli to expose the catastrophic breakdown in security and leadership following the Brown University shooting. From delayed alerts and missing camera footage to the complete absence of command authority, the response was disorganized, unserious, and dangerous. Officials prioritized optics over action, messaging over manhunts, and political caution over public safety. Staropoli explains why this was not confusion but institutional failure, and why these same patterns are now spreading nationwide. This episode lays out exactly what went wrong, who is responsible, and why these failures will continue unless they are confronted directly.   Follow on X! @susancrabtree @Eric_Eggers @Govt_Acct_Inst   Watch full episodes of On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers on the Government Accountability Institute YouTube channel.    👉 WATCH HERE👈   On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers is an official podcasts production of the Government Accountability Institute.

    24 min

  8. 12/10/2025

    Ep. 10 | The J6 Pipe Bomber Case Has a MAJOR Problem

    In this episode, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers unpack the chaotic and fast-moving revelations surrounding the arrest of alleged J6 pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr. They highlight contradictions in FBI narratives, questions about the timing of the arrest after five years, and concerns about the involvement of DOJ prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine, previously accused of attempting to coerce false confessions in Proud Boys cases. The hosts scrutinize media spin, disputed claims that Cole is a “right-wing election denier,” and potential motives that appear inconsistent with his background. They explore whistleblower leaks, possible institutional bias, and the FBI’s history of questionable investigations while stressing the need for evidence-based scrutiny. Follow on X! @JosephZieglerWB @susancrabtree @Eric_Eggers @Govt_Acct_Inst   Watch full episodes of On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers on the Government Accountability Institute YouTube channel.    👉 WATCH HERE 👈   On Background with Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers is an official podcasts production of the Government Accountability Institute.

    32 min
See All (17)

Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

On Background with Susan Crabtree, a Government Accountability Institute podcast, aims to expose corruption and government mismanagement through hard-hitting investigative journalism. Hosted by veteran reporter Susan Crabtree, alongside GAI’s Vice President Eric Eggers, the podcast leverages confidential “on background” insights to uncover truths behind political headlines. 

Information

  • Creator
    Government Accountability Institute
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    On Background with Susan Crabtree

You Might Also Like