Friends and neighbors,

On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's office leading fraud investigations in our state made a stunning revelation: as much as half of the $18 billion paid out through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 could be fraudulent. That's potentially $9 billion stolen from taxpayers and from vulnerable Minnesotans who genuinely need help.

Joe Thompson, who served as acting US Attorney last summer, didn't mince words. He called it "staggering, industrial-scale fraud" that's "swamping Minnesota." This isn't a handful of bad actors or a few companies making simple billing errors. It is companies set up for the specific purpose of stealing from Minnesotans and a systematic exploitation of programs that were supposed to serve our most vulnerable neighbors.

Two men were just charged with traveling from Philadelphia to Minnesota specifically because they heard how easy it was to defraud our state. Thompson called it “fraud tourism.” Think about that. Minnesota has become known as a place where criminals can show up and steal taxpayer money with little resistance or consequences.

Several departments of the federal government are conducting their own investigations into Minnesota fraud, including reviews of SNAP benefits, education loans, and unemployment insurance programs. Fraud has exploded in Minnesota in ways that other states haven't experienced, because Gov. Tim Walz has failed to stop it.

I will continue to shine a light on Minnesota’s ongoing fraud problems and will, as always, push for reforms to stop this madness. Criminals should not get an easy payday in Minnesota.

If you have any questions, please reach out any time.