The $1.15 billion settlement to black farmers in their suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provisions to identify fraud, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. said Friday.

Bishop, who represents the 2nd Congressional District that includes parts of south Columbus and Fort Benning, was responding to an Internet video from Buena Vista, Ga., resident Eddie Slaughter claiming Bishop is aware of fraud in the payments. The legislation, known as the Pigford II settlement, was approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama on Dec. 8.

Slaughter claims he met Bishop in his Columbus office and expressed concerns about people who lacked farmer identification numbers or were never farmers seeking payments.

“Slaughter is a disgruntled farmer,” said Bishop, who has visited him in Buena Vista and tried to help Slaughter on issues. “He was approved in the first Pigford case. He did not get debt relief and he apparently got his loan renegotiated and didn’t pay it.”

Bishop said he saw the video on Wednesday and recalls a conversation with Slaughter.

“I seem to recall that conversation, but there is nothing I have authority to do about it but have the oversight,” Bishop said.

Slaughter wasn’t available for comment late Friday.

“Legislation was passed and signed into law late last year,” Bishop said. “There were provisions put in there to address concerns of fraud.”

Bishop, D-Albany, said he’s aware of people receiving funds from the settlement but they were heirs of farmers, the victims of past discrimination.

“They stood in the shoes of their deceased parents in collecting the money,” Bishop said. “Their parents were entitled to the settlement.”

In the suit against the USDA, black farmers said they were denied loans between 1983 and 1997 or were forced to wait longer for loan approval than non-minority farmers. Thousands of black farmers were paid in the first settlement of the Pigford suit in 1999 but tens of thousands missed the deadline to apply. That prompted activists to seek more affected farmers hoping for another settlement.

Under the new bill, more than 75,000 black farmers are expected to share part of the settlement, with most receiving an average of $50,000.

Bishop describes Slaughter’s comments as totally irresponsible.

“The process was under the jurisdiction of the court,” he said. “An adjudicator was to determine who had legitimate claims. That was not my job. The bottom line is what he is saying I have no responsibility for.”

Even during debate on the bill in Congress, Bishop said people made allegations that there could be fraud.

“Concerns of Slaughter were addressed in the bill,” Bishop said.