Fraud Committee Responds to Walz and the Media’s Misleading Comments on the Sharing of Whistleblower Information
Following our hearing Wednesday, the Walz Administration and local media have worked together to advance a misleading narrative regarding how whistleblower information is handled by the committee.
Both the Walz Administration and local media claimed that the Fraud Committee is “withholding” whistleblower tips from the Department of Human Services, and therefore “covering up” fraud. This could not be further from the truth.
Those claims ignore both the law and the well-documented history of retaliation against whistleblowers under the Walz Administration, specifically in the Department of Human Services, as well as the committee’s consistent practice of referring credible allegations directly to law enforcement and the Office of the Legislative Auditor.
“The Fraud Committee’s mission is to expose fraud, hold agencies accountable through hearings, provide a safe place for whistleblowers to report fraud, and refer credible whistleblower information to the Office of the Legislative Auditor and law enforcement, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“That has been our practice from the beginning, and it remains our practice today. The suggestion that fraud allegations are being hidden or ignored is false. When whistleblowers come forward, their information is shared with entities that have the authority to investigate and prosecute fraud, not with political appointees whose agencies have repeatedly failed to stop it.”
“House Republicans passed whistleblower protection laws this year because multiple whistleblowers reported that the Walz Administration had either ignored their reports or retaliated against state employees who raised concerns about fraud. We expanded whistleblower protections to include reporting to Legislators or law enforcement precisely so whistleblowers would have alternate avenues to report their concerns while retaining protection for their jobs and livelihoods. Whistleblowers are now taking advantage of the new safeguards passed with strong bipartisan support last session.”
“It is disappointing but not surprising to see local once again providing cover for the Walz Administration and Democrats instead of holding them accountable. This article comes just one week after another local article which falsely and recklessly claimed that the amount of fraud in Minnesota was just “$217.7 million to date.” This estimate has no basis in reality and only serves to provide cover for the Walz Administration.
“The committee’s responsibility is to protect whistleblowers, expose fraud, hold agencies accountable, and get fraud information to the proper authorities. We will not jeopardize the identity or livelihoods of our whistleblowers by sending sensitive information back to agencies that have failed to act or retaliated in the past. Our focus remains on uncovering fraud, protecting taxpayers, and holding this administration accountable for allowing the problem to grow to this scale.”
###