A former manager of the state’s computer forensics lab told lawmakers Monday that some day care providers fraudulently obtained state reimbursements which were funneled to America’s enemies overseas. Scott Stillman says, “I found spreadsheets in there from one of the daycare(s) going to a known– an individual who’s been convicted of terroristic actions.”
State Human Services Department Inspector General Carolyn Ham acknowledges some illegally obtained money went overseas, but disagrees with those who say it’s widespread: “Child care fraud is a big problem, and it’s in the millions of dollars. However, we don’t have evidence that it’s 50 percent, or anything like that.” Ham says the state stopped payments to 16 child care providers because of fraud — but that’s out of 17-hundred total in Minnesota.