Labor unions and related organizations took in $36.7 million in federal taxpayer funds through the Paycheck Protection Program for which they were legally ineligible, according to a new report from the Freedom Foundation. Legislation creating the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was signed by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The PPP authorized $349 billion in guaranteed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans for eligible individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to cover payroll, rent, and utility payments. Some loans were forgivable if specific criteria were met. SBA records show at least $24.2 million of the $36.7 million in labor union-related loans have been forgiven, according to the report (pdf). Between the time the PPP was created in March 2020 and the American Rescue Plan was passed in March 2021, as many as 226 forgivable loans totaling $36.7 …