Kreun leads effort to spearhead fraud prevention and hold government accountable – authors bipartisan bill to create Office of Inspector General

This week Senate Republicans rolled out a comprehensive plan to hold government accountable to stop waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers’ dollars. The plan is part of the Minnesotans First agenda for the 2025 legislative session.

“Fraud cases have been financially draining our state for years – there has been an abundance of waste, fraud, and abuse, and Minnesotans expect us to get this under control, and put safeguards in place to prevent this from happening,” said Senator Michael Kreun (R-Blaine). “Senate Republicans have introduced a slate of bills that will ensure transparency, create oversight, and restore trust in our system. Families across the state have voiced their worries, and they deserve to know we are taking their concerns seriously.” 

Notably, recent poling has shown that lower taxes and fraud are “top issues” for Minnesotans. The following bills are part of a targeted rollout meant to address these concerns: 

  • Oversight
    • Increasing penalties on state employees who don’t follow the law in reporting suspected waste, fraud, or abuse
    • Increasing protections for whistleblowers that are state employees who report signs of waste, fraud, and abuse
    • Creation of the Office of the Inspector General, to provide independent fraud oversight and investigation
  • Transparency
    • Promoting transparency in the Attorney General’s office
    • Encouraging House andSenate committees to hold hearings where the Office of the Legislative Auditor reviews agency compliance with its recommendations to address waste, fraud, and abuse
  • Grant Reforms
    • Creating the position of Grant Administrator, also allowing for the creation of a single grants database
    • Pushing for stricter financial audits for organizations that rely on state dollars
    • Creating new oversight and compliance checks for grants

Kreun’s bill plays an integral role in ensuring transparency in the Attorney General’s office.

“Part of the package is a bill I authored that aims to bring transparency to the Attorney General’s office,” continued Kreun. “The public has had limited access to information on fraud cases being investigated, prosecuted or settled. The public should have access to closed files, and they have a right to know what their government is doing. This should not be a partisan issue – it is simply good policy that promotes transparency where it’s most needed.”

In addition to these priorities, Sen. Kreun is also leading the charge in efforts to create an Office of the Inspector General. To ensure the office is as independent as possible, it will be set up as an executive agency, but will not be appointed by nor will it report to the Governor.

“It is clear that legislative action is needed to effectively clamp down on waste, fraud, and abuse,” continued Kreun. “The amount of fraud has been overwhelming, and it is necessary that we work together in a bipartisan fashion to address it immediately. We need to collaborate across the aisle in order to move our state forward. Our role as legislators is to protect taxpayer dollars, utilize funding responsibly, and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. This bill is a step forward in restoring trust that Minnesotans should have in their leaders. Families deserve to know we are taking all fraud allegations seriously, and we are doing our part to mitigate future instances of waste, fraud, and abuse.”