FULL: Nick Shirley, officials testify on Minnesota fraud scandal in congressional hearing скачать в хорошем качестве

FULL: Nick Shirley, officials testify on Minnesota fraud scandal in congressional hearing

House lawmakers held another hearing about the fraud scandal in Minnesota that pushed Gov. Tim Walz out of running for reelection and prompted a crackdown from the Trump administration that they were warned is hitting legitimate care centers and other businesses that rely on government funding to operate, risking closures of organizations providing vital services to their community. Among the hearing’s witnesses was Nick Shirley, a YouTuber whose video about alleged daycare fraud in Minnesota drew significant attention and ramped up scrutiny on Walz, who ultimately opted to drop his reelection bid in light of the scandal. The initial video alleged nearly a dozen day care centers receiving public funds are not actually providing any services, a claim some of the businesses and state regulators have denied. "I made this video to document the widespread fraud that has been taking place, as I truly believe that all fraud is bad,” Shirley said. “And people like me, my generation, are sick of seeing tax dollars go toward fraud." It also spurred a swift crackdown from the Trump administration, with the Department of Health and Human Services freezing all childcare payments to Minnesota days after Shirley’s video went viral. Department of Homeland Security officials have also been in the state to investigate, and the Justice Department added a new assistant attorney general to focus on fraud with their initial attention on Minnesota. Scott Dexter, a former police officer and state investigator in Minnesota, told the committee he had witnessed widespread fraud in the state's child care system due to deficiencies in the system to approve funds and a lack of recommended safeguards like electronic records and security cameras. But he said his team of investigators were labeled as "racially biased" after noting the trend of fraud happening within the Somali community and state officials launched an outside review of their practices resulting in new restrictions that hindered the ability to continue investigating. “The purpose of my testimony is not to cast blame on any community. It is to highlight systemic weaknesses that allow large scale fraud to occur and to emphasize the need for stronger safeguards, better oversight and investigative processes that are allowed to function without political interference,” Dexter said. READ MORE: https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/... _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: 13 WHAM on Facebook:   / 13wham   13 WHAM on Twitter:   / 13wham   13WHAM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/13whamtv/?h... 13WHAM on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@13wham?lang=en 13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest:    • 13WHAM Local News Digest   For more information, visit https://13wham.com/ Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: news@13wham.com Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700 WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork