‘It is time to start ending fraud’: Lisa Demuth unveils new crackdown plan

Republican‑endorsed governor candidate Lisa Demuth on Tuesday outlined a series of proposals she said would crack down on fraud inside Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS), arguing taxpayers are frustrated by repeated reports of wasted public dollars.

“Minnesota taxpayers are tired of news report after news report after news report watching increased fraud,” Demuth said. “Minnesotans are tired of it. It is time to start ending fraud.”

Demuth said her plan centers on tightening oversight of DHS programs, replacing agency leadership and adding new penalties for people convicted of stealing state funds. She said she would fire DHS commissioners and deputy commissioners, saying current leadership “has failed Minnesotans by wasting taxpayer dollars over years.”

One of her proposals would ban people receiving taxpayer‑funded social services from sending mone...