The state House fraud panel convened this week to press Minnesota Department of Human Services on program integrity, but agency officials did not attend, sparking sharp criticism from the committee chair and renewed calls for accountability as the governor promises to overhaul Medicaid oversight and eligibility systems.
House Fraud Prevention Committee Chair Kristin Robbins expressed clear frustration when MNDHS failed to show up to answer questions after a presentation by the governor’s appointed program integrity director. “I’m incredibly frustrated that they ghosted us,” she said, and her reaction set the tone for a hearing focused on oversight, restitution, and practical fixes. That absence left lawmakers and witnesses to debate reforms without the agency that oversees the programs under scrutiny. The no-show fed concerns about transparency and responsiveness at an agency already under heavy criticism.
Robbins has been blunt about accountability, arguing that leaders “knew this was going on and they allowed it to continue.” Her remarks reflect a broader Republican demand for tangible action, not excuses. Committee members insisted the department should have been present to explain how periodic checks and data matches are supposed to prevent fraud. Lawmakers wanted specifics, and they expected the department to be there to provide them.
Robbins also noted the formal invitation and the missed opportunity to question staff directly. “Before we begin, is there anyone in the Department of Human Services in the audience? I don’t see anyone,” she said. “So I just want to note for the record that [MN]DHS was invited to be available in the audience to answer questions today after Judge O’Malley’s presentation. And they have apparently declined to come, which is very frustrating.” That exchange underscored the committee’s belief that the department owes taxpayers clearer explanations.
Robbins made the point that this was not a one-off lapse; the department had skipped a previous session as well. “She may not always be able to attend, but there are a lot of employees at that agency [including] someone who especially can speak to periodic data matching should have been here for that portion of the hearing.” The implication was plain: even if top officials are busy, technical experts should be available to answer basic questions about fraud prevention. To critics, routine absences look like avoidance rather than scheduling conflicts.
Testimony from Tim O’Malley, the retired judge tapped by the governor to lead Program Integrity, filled much of the hearing’s substance and gave Republicans fresh ammo to press for reforms. “Minnesota has experienced extensive, well-documented fraud in programs designed to serve the state’s most vulnerable residents. The state’s ineffectiveness in combating that fraud has wasted taxpayer dollars, enriched criminals, eroded public confidence, and impeded the delivery of essential services to Minnesotans in need,” O’Malley said. His assessment matched what committee members have been saying: the problem is serious and long-standing, and it demands a stronger response.
Robbins pushed back on the department’s later statement that it had been committed elsewhere, calling that excuse into question. She said “it’s not true” that they were unavailable in spirit, noting she saw MNDHS staff entering a subsequent hearing as her committee wrapped up. “[Ours] wasn’t just any run-of-the-mill hearing. It was the public hearing on the governor’s program integrity report with the guy the governor appointed: Judge O’Malley. So, absolutely, they should have been there to ask questions.” For Republicans, the sight of agency staff present at a different hearing but absent from this one was politically and practically unacceptable.
Governor Tim Walz acknowledged the problems and framed them as institutional and longstanding, using vivid language to describe a system that has accreted complexity instead of being fixed. “When I came here, the discussion was, if you recall clear back in 2019, that reforms around [MN]DHS as a large organization that does multiple things that we needed to think about modernizing… I talked to my fellow governors and we talked to commissioners in other states, Minnesota system of delivery around social services is a bit of an outlier in how it’s done,” Walz said. He signaled support for centralizing eligibility decisions and a broader review of how state, counties, and tribal nations interact in service delivery.
The governor emphasized a “topline” goal to “moderniz[e] a proposal on how Medicaid is administered … Strengthening oversight of enrollment in these programs by centralizing eligibility decisions, and funding a comprehensive study to examine the role of state, counties, and tribal nations in the delivery of these to provide more transparency and effectiveness.” While the administration promises structural fixes, lawmakers on the Republican side say they want immediate answers and clear steps to stem waste. That demand for concrete deliverables shaped the tone of the hearing and the criticism of the department’s absence.
For now, the committee plans to press on, seeking written explanations and follow-up testimony that includes the technical staff who can explain how periodic data matching is actually performed. Lawmakers want evidence that reforms will prevent future exploitation and restore public trust. The dispute over attendance may sound procedural, but for many Republicans it represents a larger fight over responsibility, oversight, and whether the state will finally hold agencies to account for protecting taxpayers and vulnerable residents.
