Funding for Minnesota child care centers paused
By Andrew Rice
The Center Square
Taxpayer dollars provided each year to Minnesota day care centers will be frozen, according to officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Alex Adams, assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families, said his office provides child care centers in Minnesota $185 million each year.
"That money should be helping 19,000 American children, including toddlers and infants," Adams said. "Any dollar stolen by fraudsters is stolen from those children."
Adams said officials in Minnesota could not confidently confirm or deny the extent of the suspected fraud examples.
Jim O'Neill, deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, said the department implemented required verification for all ACF child care payments. The verification process requires a justification, receipt or photo evidence before making a payment
"We believe the state of Minnesota has allowed scammers and fake day care centers to siphon millions of taxpayer dollars over the past decade," O'Neill said.
O'Neill also demanded Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz conduct a thorough review of Minnesota's day care centers.
"Regardless of rank or office, anyone who is involved in perpetrating this fraud against the American people should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," O'Neill said.
The first allegations of fraud came in late November when reports stated millions of taxpayer dollars had been stolen from the state's welfare system and sent to a Somali-based terror group.
Fraud allegations intensified when independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a video last week, claiming to reveal $110 million in fraud at Minnesota child care centers.
HHS also launched a hotline for individuals to report fraud in the child care system in any state.
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Comment
Interesting...
It seems it doesn't matter if you never voted for a Democrat, everyone is considered guilty till proven innocent.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/hhs-freezing-child-care-payments-minnesota-af…
What???
First, the saying "Innocent, until proven guilty" is not in the Bill of Rights nor is it a codified policy. But "the burden of proof is on the government' is. In terms of reasonable articulable suspicion, probable cause, preponderance of evidence, and beyond a reasonable doubt. Second.... I can't remember my second point, because I was flabbergasted that too many Americans blurt out "innocent until proven guilty!" Really? Is OJ Simpson innocent? If one thinks those Somali-front businesses are actually "day care establishments" then you should write personal checks to each of those fronts in "sympathetic" solidarity. I hear crickets.... chirp chirp.
Yes, really
In Coffin v. United States, the Supreme Court codified the presumption of innocence for individuals accused of crimes. The ruling found that a defendant must be acquitted unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, a fundamental principle of criminal law.
The presumption of innocence is a shield against the power of the government. Without this principle, the government would base guilt based on things like, oh, I don't know, unsubstantiated accusations from viral YouTube videos and typical Trumpubican tendentious temper tantrums against immigrants.
Second, why is the unproven possibility of fraud in one state a reason to immediately freeze funding in the other fourty nine? It's just another attempt to try and blame immigrants for cuts in funding in needed programs.
What???
What? Minnesota has been voting for a Democrat for President for the past 100 years! How can the internal and statewide systems and departments be so corrupt and insolvent??? Maybe the democrat farm labor liberal progressive party is the elephant in the room, i.e. the obvious problem with government corruption and spending. Make Minnesota Great Again. I was in Bemidji about 4 years ago, my .45 GI pistol was unloaded and locked away of course, but I felt so bad for the Native Tribes and Rural Citizens in Minnesota because of the state restrictions on freedom.