Fogelman making efforts to address 'fraud problem'

District 21B Rep. Marj Fogelman, R-Fulda, is co-authoring legislation that she said would better protect taxpayer dollars.

“Hundreds of millions of dollars, that we know about, have been stolen from state government and many of us have had enough,” Fogelman said in a Friday press release. “We need to put a process in place that recognizes we have a fraud problem and actually prevents criminals from gaining access to your money.”

Fogelman added that at least $610 million has been documented as lost due to fraudulent activity, and many think the total exceeds $1 billion. She said there are numerous proposals moving forward in House committees that address this out-of-control problem.

The first plan would establish a centralized Office of the Inspector General. It would be charged with the task of combatting fraud and abuse in state government. The bill requires agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected and mandates the creation of a fraud reporting hotline.

Another proposal would mandate fraud reporting for state agencies and equip them with additional tools to identify and prevent fraudulent activities including mandatory site visits. This bill also emphasizes transparency and swift action to address fraud concerns.

A third bill establishes “fraud notes,” a groundbreaking tool to assess the susceptibility of proposed legislation to fraud. Similar to fiscal notes, fraud notes would provide lawmakers with an evaluation of potential fraud risks before enacting new programs or policies. 

In addition, Minnesota House Republicans have sent a formal request to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The letter urges the Department of Justice to launch a fraud investigation in Minnesota. Said Fogelman: “Hopefully the Department of Justice is willing to help, because if we run into roadblocks on fraud prevention with Democrats and Governor Walz, we’re going to need the federal government to step in."