Linda Taylor

Linda Taylor (born Martha Louise White; c. January 1926 – April 18, 2002) was an American woman known for committing extensive welfare fraud. After an article was published in the Chicago Tribune in fall 1974, she became identified as the 'welfare queen.' Her criminal activities extended beyond welfare fraud and may have included assault, theft, insurance fraud, bigamy, kidnapping, and possibly even murder. These accounts were later used by presidential candidate Ronald Reagan to criticize social programs in the United States. Taylor was born in Golddust, Tennessee, in January 1926. She was named Martha Louise White at birth and had a troubled past filled with criminal activities.