Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria), issued the following statement regarding a Pioneer Press report that Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS) overpaid the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the White Earth Nation by $25 million for Medicaid services. Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles will be soon opening an investigation into the overpayments. According to a statement from Governor Walz, the overpayment issue had been occurring for five years.

“Over the last several weeks, we have witnessed an embarrassing amount of dysfunction out of the Department of Human Services, which raises serious questions about the department’s operational ability and leadership of the Walz administration.  DHS is the largest state agency, and Minnesota taxpayers deserve answers and a functional government. It’s time for the Walz administration and House Democrats to stop digging in their feet, recognize the department’s failures, and work with Republicans across the aisle to ensure we eliminate all waste fraud and abuse.”

The overpayments by DHS is the most recent scandal to strike the department, following the unexplained recognition of their former commissioner and a delayed investigation of an inspector charged with managing child care fraud.