FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Amanda Tinsley
651-491-9946 (cell)
Amanda.Tinsley@house.mn.gov
News Release
Statement from Demuth on FBI Search Warrant Related to Autism Fraud Investigation
St. Paul, MN—House Speaker-designate Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, issued the following statement reacting to news that law enforcement officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation served search warrants in downtown Minneapolis and St. Cloud this morning as part of a wide-ranging Medicaid fraud investigation.
“With investigations ongoing and dozens of documented cases of waste, fraud, and abuse within public programs, state agencies must do more to stop criminal activity before even more taxpayer dollars are lost to bad actors,” said Demuth. “The Walz Administration’s refusal to act means that hundreds of millions of dollars continue to be stolen with no chance of recovery.”
The number of autism providers has increased 700% in the past five years, accompanied by a 3,000% increase in funding to those services including $400 million in 2023 and 2024 according to today’s search warrant. Federal investigators say they found "substantial evidence" providers submitted fraudulent claims for services not provided or covered by the program. Additionally, the warrant shows at least twelve people charged in the Feeding Our Future case owned, received money from or were associated with autism centers that got state funding for providing services.
Demuth continued, “With this investigation’s links to a dozen individuals involved in the Feeding our Future scandal, I am calling on Governor Walz to order state agencies to immediately pause payments to anyone or any entity that is suspected or convicted of fraud in other state programs.”
In July, Gov. Walz said that he was “not aware” of the FBI investigation and seemed unaware of allegations of fraud in Minnesota’s autism program.
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