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Legislative Update
Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar taken from your pocket and from the Minnesotans who truly need support. That’s why our House Republican Fraud and State Agency Oversight Committee has spent this session doing the work the people expect: uncovering waste and abuse and advancing meaningful reforms to protect taxpayer money.
Despite repeated claims by the DFL, our House Fraud and state Agency Oversight Committee is not tasked with investigating consumer fraud. That’s handled by Judiciary, Public Safety, and Commerce Committees. Our job is to investigate and prevent fraud within state agencies...where your tax dollars go.
What the House Fraud Committee Has Accomplished this Session:
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Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA): Testified about years of red flags ignored by state agencies.
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Office of Grants Management (OGM): Offered direct solutions to fix broken oversight processes.
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Department of Human Services (DHS): Revealed gaps, mismanagement, and vulnerabilities.
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Attorney General Keith Ellison: Hosted a hearing where fraudsters themselves described how they manipulated systems using race and religious narratives.
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HF 2891: Cracking Down on Grant Fraud This bill takes several steps to make sure taxpayer money is used properly:
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Site Visits: State agencies must visit grant recipients in person to check that the money is being used the right way.
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Staff Training: Workers who manage grants must be trained and certified so they know how to spot and prevent fraud.
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Bad Actor List: A public list will be created to track individuals and groups who have been banned from receiving grants because of wrongdoing.
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Whistleblower Protection: People who report fraud in good faith will be protected, and agencies must follow up when fraud is reported.
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HF 3043: Making Kickbacks Illegal This bill makes it a crime for anyone—including nonprofits—to take or give kickbacks in connection with government grants.
Medicaid Fraud & DHS Oversight
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Uncovered red flags in Medicaid billing
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DHS raised their risk level for Autism Centers and Housing Stabilization Services.
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Bipartisan concern around legislative earmarks and agency accountability is beginning to shift the culture.
The fraud committee launched www.MNFRAUD.com to give whistleblowers a safe place to report waste, fraud, and abuse. In just over a week, they received 657 submissions a clear sign the public is ready for transparency.
House Republicans mission at the beginning of session was to expose fraud, protect taxpayer dollars, and ensure services reach those truly in need.
The DFL fought the very creation of this committee. They still refuse to co-author any of the bills and are now laying the groundwork to eliminate the only legislative body committed to enterprise-wide fraud oversight. They argue this committee is political. But they conveniently ignore our request to the U.S. Department of Justice to appoint a new U.S. Attorney in Minnesota to help us prosecute fraud at the federal level.
House Republicans are staying vigilant and will continue to expose fraud because you deserve to know where your money goes. You deserve a government that works for you—not for fraudsters. You deserve to know where your hard-earned tax dollars go and what’s not being used deserves to go back to YOU.
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Please Contact Me
It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. I am here to serve you!
Lastly, I hope everyone enjoyed fishing opener and getting back out on the water for the season!
Mike
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/Rep
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2319 Centennial Office Building 658 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN 55155 651.296.4293 |
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