Rep. Pinto statement on today’s House Fraud Committee hearing

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL – Saint Paul), the DFL lead on the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee, issued the following statement about today’s committee hearing on assisted living and adult day services providers:

“Today’s hearing provided more proof that this committee is being run purely for political gain, rather than to prevent fraud and hold wrongdoers accountable. Over months of hearings, the committee has uncovered no fraud itself and has voted on not one proposal for policy change.

“Chair Robbins now admits to withholding information from Republicans’ own ‘whistleblower portal’ not only with DFLers on the committee, but with agency officials – such as the DHS Inspector General and the Attorney General – who have the authority to stop it.

“If Chair Robbins has in fact uncovered legitimate concerns of fraud – a claim for which there is no evidence – then her top priority should have been to get them investigated and, if warranted, get payments stopped. Her deliberate choice instead to prioritize political theater – and let the funds keep flowing – is another example of her choosing to put her partisan political ambitions above those of Minnesota taxpayers.

“DFLers are committed to addressing the root causes of fraud, stopping fraudulent payments from going out the door, and ensuring fraudsters who steal taxpayer dollars meant for public purposes are held accountable. Partisan political exercises – like springing flowcharts and bombastic allegations at the eleventh hour without giving anyone the opportunity to verify the veracity of the claims – won’t accomplish that mission. Especially with a legislature as closely divided as ours, Minnesotans deserve a good-faith, collaborative, and deliberate effort to tackle fraud – not what we have seen from this committee.”