How the Paycheck Protection Program went from good intentions to a huge free-for-all

A closed barbershop in Cleveland in May 2020. Small businesses were in limbo as the coronavirus outbreak raged and the first round of the government's multibillion-dollar Paycheck Protection Program drew to a close.

Tony Dejak / Tony Dejak

When the Paycheck Protection Program launched during the pandemic shutdowns of spring 2020, it immediately became a chaotic free-for-all.

Called PPP for short, the program offered simple-to-get, potentially forgivable government loans to small businesses. Yet billions of dollars went to companies owned by wealthy celebrities, including Tom Brady and Khloe Kardashian, and companies that thrived during COVID, like many manufacturing and construction firms.

Government officials acknowledge that the program was rife with fraud and did not weed out undeserving applicants. But there was a way to remedy those early errors: Deny forgiveness. That could have thwarted scam artists and forced businesses that prospered to repay the money.