A transgender man convicted of fraudulently collecting COVID funds has been referred to by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a “woman” in official correspondence.

Newsweek reached out to the DOJ for comment.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump has been aggressive in tackling transgender policies and issues, with one of his first executive orders recognizing two sexes only—male and female—and stating that they are “not changeable.” Along with banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports, he has also greenlit a ban on transgender military members that currently is allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

What To Know

A press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Louisiana refers to Brandon Jarrow, 33, of New Orleans, as a “woman” and mentions former name Brandi Jarrow.

On May 8, Jarrow pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing funds and making false statements to receive over $115,000 in loans as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act program that provided relief to individuals and small businesses during the pandemic.

The CARES Act was signed into law by Trump in March 2020 to order the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to dole out emergency assistance via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program.

Jarrow’s case stems back to the infancy of the pandemic.

Charging documents show that on or about June 20, 2020, Jarrow submitted a false application to the SBA for an EIDL, leading to a loan worth $95,000.

On February 4, 2021, Jarrow again made false statements to an approved lender for “another sham business,” as described by DOJ, to obtain a $20,833 PPP loan.

Though Trump’s national approval rating has recently wavered, due in large part to economic turbulence, his stance on the transgender issue remains for the American public one of his most well-received initiatives.

An Associated Press-NORC poll of 1,175 adults conducted between May 1 and 5 found that 52 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of transgender issues—higher than his job approval rating, which the poll measured at 41 percent.

What People Are Saying

Alithia Zamantakis, a research assistant professor in the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing at Northwestern University, told Newsweek that the DOJ correspondence is part of a broader theme within the current administration.

“It’s clear that the Trump administration continues to use anti-trans bigotry as a means to divide everyday people and to justify the administration’s actions,” Zamantakis said. “The administration has presented a caricature of trans people as fraudulent, a waste of government funds, and a harm to our society. Their reference to Brandon as a ‘woman’ only furthers that characterization.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reacting to a post about transgender treatments provided by the Pentagon, said on X, formerly Twitter, last month: “If this is true—we will find any way possible to stop it. Taxpayers should NEVER pay for this lunacy. As we stated—before a rogue judge blocked it—’service members with gender dysphoria are disqualified from military service.’ Zero readiness reasons for trans troops.”

Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills said in a statement last month: “As I have said previously, this is not just about who can compete on the athletic field, this is about whether a president can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law that governs our nation. I believe he cannot.”

J. Michael Bailey, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University, said in an opinion article for Newsweek: “Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders that respect biological reality in areas from medicine to sports to intimate spaces, and protect the right to speak about the harms of gender ideology. These orders, including the most recent one, issued February 5, honor honest scientific inquiry and reverse the trend of activists distorting the scientific picture.”

What Happens Next

Jarrow’s sentencing date is scheduled for August 13. Jarrow faces up to five years in prison for false statement counts and up to 10 years for the theft of government funds. All counts carry a penalty of up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, per the DOJ.