WBIR in Knoxville, Tenn., found taxpayer-funded public assistance withdrawn inside of bars, strip clubs, and tobacco stores, in the course of a 10-month investigation into the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF):
In Tennessee, recipients get an average of $165 per month. DHS records show it handed out $2,645,955.17 in the city of Knoxville from January to July 2012. That's 62,920 transactions.
Many people use their benefits at places like Wal-Mart, Kroger or Food City, but several others caught our eye.
We discovered a $42.00 transaction on June 2, 2012 at Th' Katch Show Club. Owner Wayne Northcutt says the business does not take credit, debit or EBT cards. It's a cash only business, and there is an ATM on site. At another spot, the Carousel II Nightclub in Fort Sanders, someone redeemed $43.00 in TANF on January 15, 2012.