Linda Taylor
Linda Taylor | |
|---|---|
Taylor leaving a courtroom in Chicago during a recess in her trial on March 8, 1977. | |
| Born | Martha Louise White c. January 1926 Golddust, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | (aged 76) Harvey, Illinois, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Known for | Welfare fraud |
| Criminal status | Convicted |
| Convictions |
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| Criminal penalty | 3–7 years imprisonment |
Date apprehended | August 2, 1974 |
| Imprisoned at | Dwight Correctional Center, Nevada Township, Illinois, U.S. (1978–1980) |
Linda Taylor (born Martha Louise White; c. January 1926 – April 18, 2002) was an American woman who committed extensive welfare fraud and, after the publication of an article in the Chicago Tribune in fall 1974, became identified as the "welfare queen". Accounts of Taylor's activities were used by then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, for his 1976 presidential campaign onwards, to illustrate his criticisms of social programs in the United States. Her criminal activities are believed to have extended beyond welfare fraud and may have included assault, theft, insurance fraud, bigamy, kidnapping, and possibly even murder.