NE Valley Times

Arizona State Representative Joseph Chaplik has raised concerns regarding Bill Gates' acquisition of federal funds, which he claims were obtained "illegitimately." Chaplik expressed these views in a post on February 18th on the social media platform X. He highlighted that Gates, as the largest farmland owner in the United States, should be a subject of public concern.

"Bill Gates is the largest farmland owner in United States, which should concern everybody," said Chaplik, AZ State Rep, District 3. "Because of @DOGE , we are finding out that he's being GIVEN $Billions in Federal money, illegitimately. Did Gates use this money to buy over 25,000 acres of Arizona land to build a dystopian "Smart City? I will be looking into this and my Regulatory Committee can shine some light into this land transaction."

According to Blockchain, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have initiated an investigation into GAVI following a $4 billion allocation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the organization. This announcement had an immediate impact on cryptocurrency markets, with Dogecoin experiencing a 5% surge from $0.10 to $0.105 within half an hour. The trading volume increased by 20%, indicating heightened investor interest, while other major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum saw only minor changes.

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GAVI, known as the Vaccine Alliance, is a public-private partnership established in 2000 aimed at improving global vaccine access, particularly for children in low- and middle-income countries. According to KFF Health News, GAVI has provided $23 billion for immunization efforts and played a role in COVAX, an initiative that distributed COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. The U.S. government supports GAVI by contributing 12% of its total funding and pledging at least $1.58 billion for the next five-year replenishment cycle. In addition to financial contributions, the U.S. participates in GAVI's governance and offers technical assistance.

Governed by a 28-member board, GAVI operates through partnerships with donor and implementing countries. Its funding primarily comes from governments and private donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. KFF Health News reports that it employs innovative financing mechanisms like the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) and the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Advance Market Commitment (PCV AMC).

In 2017, an investment firm linked to Bill Gates purchased around 25,000 acres of land in Arizona's West Valley near Tonopah for $80 million with plans to develop a smart city named Belmont. The project was expected to include 80,000 residential units along with commercial spaces and advanced infrastructure; however, since 2020 there has been limited information on its progress.

Chaplik is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives representing District 3 since January 9, 2023. Previously he served District 23 from 2021 to 2023 according to Ballotpedia.