Friends and neighbors,
Fraud in Minnesota has spiraled out of control under the Walz administration. There have been at least 25 major fraud scandals in six years, with over half a billion dollars stolen from taxpayers. And what has been done about it? Nothing.
It’s time to change that. Enter the Senate Republicans’ fraud prevention plan, which we unveiled recently.
One major obstacle is that state employees who suspect fraud are either too afraid to report it or simply ignore it. That has to end. I am authoring a bill that makes it clear: if you see fraud, you have a duty to report it. If you don’t, there will be consequences. Employees who fail to stop fraudulent payments will face real penalties. Agencies that look the other way will have their budgets frozen. No more business as usual.
Minnesota needs a real system to prevent fraud before it happens. The federal government has a “Do Not Pay” list that tracks individuals and entities banned from receiving government funds. We need the same thing here. If you’ve been caught committing fraud, you shouldn’t be able to keep doing business with the state. That’s common sense.
Fraud is a culture problem. Right now, state government has a culture of looking the other way. That must change. Every employee should know that stopping fraud is their responsibility. That’s why I’m pushing for annual fraud training, with real accountability. Employees will be required to sign a statement acknowledging the consequences of failing to report fraud. And agencies will be required to act the moment fraud is identified—no more excuses, no more delays.
The people of Minnesota work too hard to see their tax dollars stolen by criminals and ignored by bureaucrats. If the governor won’t act, Senate Republicans will. The days of fraud and corruption being tolerated in Minnesota government need to end now.
— Draz