How much fraud is there really in human services?

A report released by the Office of the Legislative Auditor found no evidence to support the idea that there was fraud in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) equaling about $100 million. The audit was sparked by a Fox 9 piece last May that suggested the money was being taken to Somalia to fund terrorist groups like al-Shabab.

The audit did note that prosecutors have proven some fraud cases in the last few years, with the total monetary value landing between $5 million and $6 million.

Democrats and Republicans alike have used the report as a political talking point to support their view.

When did this become a political issue? How common is fraud in the provision of human services? Can it be stopped?

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MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy was joined by four guests for a conversation about fraud in human services.

Guests:

Jim Nobles— Legislative auditor

Tony Lourey— Commissioner of the Department of Human Services

Kevin Goodno— Former commissioner of the Department of Human Services

Mohamed Omar— Executive director of Dar Al-Farooq

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.