Photo taken on May 21, 2020 shows the U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington D.C. (Xinhua/ via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - The government on Monday identified roughly 650,000 mostly small businesses and nonprofits that received taxpayer money through a federal program that was designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus but also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies and some celebrity owned firms.The Treasury Department’s Payroll Protection Program approved applicants from a broad swath of industries.
Some that were less directly impacted by the pandemic, such as manufacturing and construction, received a greater proportion of the loans than the hard-hit restaurant and hotel industries.