Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from the House of Representatives. Hope you are having a good summer and just want to pass along some of my latest notes before newsletters such as this go on hiatus (more on that in a bit).
Before we get to state news, I want to touch on the recent assassination attempt taken against Donald Trump that shook our nation. First of all, thank you to God Almighty for protecting President Trump. This hideous act of violence is being condemned across the political spectrum, and rightfully so. May this assault on President Trump, and the life it cost with the death of a firefighter, serve to unify us as Americans. May we stand together in defense of our right to peacefully assemble for political events of our choosing or otherwise.
Rampant fraud
Despite years of warning signs and red flags, Democrats continue to fund fraud through state agencies without holding anyone accountable. It’s one investigation after another these days, From Feeding our Future to frontline worker pay, autism centers and beyond. But Democrats in full control of the Capitol must not care about our dollars are being stolen under their watch or they would put an end to it.
Here’s the latest:
News recently broke that the FBI is investigating Minnesota autism centers for possible Medicaid fraud. Reports show that the number of providers has increased 700% in the last five years, and payments to those providers has exploded by 3000%. Sources who administer Medical Assistance see widespread concern about fraud in the program.
This follows the non-partisan Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor reporting just last month how lax administration created opportunities for an estimated $250 million in taxpayer revenue to be the subject of fraud in the Feeding our Future program. At the height of Feeding our Future's fraud, they claimed to serve 12 million meals in a month … enough to feed every child in the state more than eight meals. This is government malpractice, and the administration needs to be held accountable for the millions that they have handed out to fraudsters.
The Feeding our Future scandal report came just after the OLA indicated it found frontline worker payments were made to people who were not eligible or whose eligibility could not be determined. This included fraudulent duplicate applications including many from people who were deceased long before this program opened. Furthermore, the Department of Revenue did not verify all applicants met the adjusted gross income requirements.
House Republicans raised fraud concerns regarding the frontline worker program to make it easier to prevent and prosecute fraud, but the majority voted down amendments. Those concerns have been shown to be correct. The Democrats’ blatant acceptance of fraud is shameful, and directly led to legitimate frontline workers receiving lower payments than they would have received had the Walz administration done its job. Taxpayers deserve accountability and responsibility from their elected officials instead of state leaders turning a blind eye, offering excuses, and failing to hold program administrators accountable.
It's time to restore balance in state government and end to the rampant fraud that Democrats allow to fester in Minnesota.
60-day rule
The end of this week brings us to 60 days past the end of the 2024 legislative session, at which point House members are prohibited from sending e-newsletters such as this until after the November election. While that blackout period is unfortunate, please know I will continue working my hardest to represent the people of this district. As always, I welcome your correspondence and remain available to help any way I can on whatever issues are most important to you.
Hope to see you around the district soon and, until next time, hope you enjoy your summer.
Sincerely,
Ben