Audit finds Minnesota agency’s lax oversight fostered theft of $250M from federal food aid program

By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A watchdog report says a Minnesota state agency’s inadequate oversight of a federal program that was meant to provide food to kids created the opportunities that led to the theft of $250 million in one of the country’s largest pandemic aid fraud cases. The Office of the Legislative Auditor says the state Department of Education “failed to act on warning signs,” that it “did not effectively exercise its authority” and that it was “ill-prepared to respond.” Seventy people have been charged for their alleged roles in the scheme. Five of the first seven defendants tried were convicted Friday. The state agency disputes the findings.