According to new findings out of the Office of the Legislative Auditor, millions of dollars in unverified payments were dispersed by the state's Frontline Worker Pay Program.
The new report alleges The Department of Labor and Industry didn't confirm individuals eligibility, and checks may have gone to people who were not qualified to receive those payments.
"The Legislature should consider the amount of risk the state is willing to accept when establishing programs quickly and with eligibility conditions that rely on self-attestation," said a statement from the Legislative Auditor's office.
The Legislature allocated $500 million for frontline worker pay, but many more people than expected applied for it, with estimates over 1.2 million people tried to qualify for the program. Workers had to complete at least 120 hours of work in close proximity to people outside their home between March 15, 2020 and June 30, 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to qualify.
Auditors also found submissions for checks that were made under the names of people who had passed away before the application even window opened.
Minnesota State Senator Karin Housley (R- Stillwater) claims it is just the latest instance of mismanaged policy efforts.
"All of these programs that were just pushed through, that we kept saying slow down, sow down," says Housley. "The paid family medical leave, which is going to break a lot of businesses and put them out of business. Look at those in more detail before saying, 'oh, this is a great idea'."
So far, there hasn't been a response from Walz or Minnesota DFL Senate and House leadership.
According to the audit about 40% of those who received funds did not have their eligibility confirmed. The report also said the Department of Revenue did not verify adjusted gross income requirements for all applicants.
You can see the full list of findings from the Office of the Legislative Auditor here.