Hello from St. Paul,
A significant step towards addressing fraud in this state has been taken by the Minnesota House, as lawmakers have approved legislation to establish an Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Under this proposal, the independent OIG would investigate state agencies, grant recipients, and contractors. It would also have subpoena power and, with a court order, the authority to freeze or halt the distribution of funds.
Put simply, the OIG would take the lead on investigating fraud and related criminal activity involving public funds. While it could issue subpoenas and conduct investigations, any suspected criminal conduct would be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
About 15 states across the country already have a statewide Office of Inspector General with broad oversight of executive agencies. These offices are typically tasked with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in government operations.
This is a major development. Some estimates suggest $9 billion has been lost to fraud in Minnesota, with little meaningful action taken by the Walz administration over the past eight years to address the problem or hold those responsible accountable. Stopping this widespread fraud is one my top legislative priorities, and establishing the OIG would be a critical step toward preventing future abuses.
WALZ ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO DUCK FRAUD ACCOUNTABILITY BY DEMOTING DHS COMMISSIONER
In an embarrassing game of switcheroo, Governor Tim Walz pulled the plug on his Department of Human Services commissioner to avoid another wave of damaging fraud headlines.
Recently, Shireen Gandhi was scheduled to face confirmation hearings in the Minnesota Senate. Instead, just one day before those hearings, Walz swapped her out for John Connolly to prevent a well-earned grilling. Even worse, Gandhi wasn’t held accountable in any way, she was swiftly reassigned as a deputy commissioner, overseeing Medicaid programs where fraud has already run rampant.
Gandhi’s original appointment raised eyebrows from the start. Gandhi had served for years inside DHS, including as Chief Compliance Officer, while an estimated $9 billion was siphoned away from taxpayers. She was also interim commissioner when the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor uncovered serious misconduct within the Behavioral Health Administration. Not only did it find gross mismanagement, but a proven, legitimate coverup, including fabricated and backdated documents.
Now, despite all of that, she’ll keep her six-figure salary and full state benefits without facing any meaningful legislative scrutiny.
Once again, the Walz administration appears more interested in avoiding political fallout than delivering accountability. In the middle of a massive fraud crisis that has spread across state government, not a single person has been fired for negligence or incompetence.
FAIR COMPENSATION FOR ACTIVE-DUTY NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS
This week, the Minnesota House unanimously passed legislation to raise pay for members of the National Guard while they are serving on state active duty. When Guard members are called up, they leave behind their families and civilian jobs to serve the public, and they shouldn’t be penalized financially for stepping up and putting their lives on hold. I was pleased to support it.
EXPANDING VETERANS’ CEMETERY BURIAL ELIGIBILITY
The House also unanimously approved legislation to extend state veterans cemetery eligibility to honorably discharged members of the National Guard and other reserve components, for a reasonable fee. These men and women stepped forward to serve, and their commitment deserves to be recognized with the same dignity afforded to others who wore the uniform. It’s also important to note that certain veterans and active-duty personnel remain eligible for cost-free interment in veterans’ cemeteries.
LOCAL VISITS
I was pleased my wife could attend the annual State of the State address recently. Here we are pictured with Pat Murphy, who is the chief clerk in the Minnesota House. He does a great job and is an all-around good guy that is respected by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Have a good weekend,
Tom