It is likely the largest crop insurance fraud bust in U.S. history - and the head of USDA’s Risk Management Agency says it sends a positive signal to Capitol Hill about the key safety net program in the farm bill. The story got just a tiny mention in the Washington Post. Yet the government’s unraveling of a 100-million dollar scheme by dozens of North Carolina crop insurance agents, adjusters, brokers and farmers to defraud the program is likely record breaking and key for the farm bill debate.

Forty-one defendants have either pleaded guilty or reached plea deals after profiting from false claims for losses of soybeans, wheat, corn and tobacco. RMA Administrator Brandon Willis on the probe by RMA, the IRS and the Justice Department…