Dec. 31 (UPI) — The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold hearings over alleged fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs starting next week, Chairman James Comer announced Wednesday.
The first hearing will be held on Jan. 7. Comer, R-Ky., is calling Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to testify to the committee sometime before Feb. 10.
Walz’s office said in a statement that he is “happy to work with Congress,” but added that the oversight committee “has a track record of holding circus hearings that have nothing to do with the issues at hand.”
Comer’s announcement comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services froze federal child care funding to Minnesota on Tuesday over allegations of rampant fraud occurring in childcare centers. The Small Business Administration has also stopped payments to the state.
“The U.S. Department of Justice is actively investigating, prosecuting and charging fraudsters who have stolen billions from taxpayers and Congress has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight of this heist and enact stronger safeguards to prevent fraud in taxpayer-funded programs, as well as strong sanctions to hold offenders accountable,” Comer said in a statement.
Republican state representatives Kristin Robbins, Walter Hudson and Marion Rarick are set to testify on Jan. 7.
Walz enlisted a third party to audit 14 Minnesota Department of Human Services programs beginning in October. Earlier this month he appointed Tim O’Malley, former superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, to direct a new statewide fraud prevention program.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.