ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s new Paid Leave program opened for applications just days ago, and already, concerns about fraud are surfacing.
Republican House Fraud Prevention Chair Kristin Robbins says she has received whistleblower reports since the program launched.
“I’m very concerned that DHS does not have adequate safeguards in place. I’ve already had whistleblower reports, and the program is less than a week old, talking about how people are trying to skim the system,” Robbins said.
The Department of Employment and Economic Development acknowledges the risk, but says protections are in place. Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe says they’re confident in their approach.
“We’ve found that people, process, and technology are reinforcing each other, helping us ensure this program runs with the high level of integrity Minnesotans expect,” Rowe said.
Rowe adds that the first payments go out Monday and, so far, no fraud has penetrated the system.
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