Allegations of fraud involving childcare funding and other government-subsidized programs elsewhere have people here concerned that something similar could be happening in Washington.
I know this because of the calls and emails that have come in since federal Republicans began investigating the suspected theft, through fraud, of billions in taxpayer dollars intended to subsidize a variety of services in Minnesota — not only childcare but assisted living, programs for children with autism and more.
It’s absolutely legitimate for taxpayers in Washington to wonder if such a scandal is just waiting to be uncovered in our state, considering the many examples of fraud and other mismanagement either missed or enabled by the Democrats who control Olympia.
The latest is from October, when corruption in the Community Reinvestment Plan was uncovered by an independent journalist and whistleblower. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were allegedly redirected to people with personal connections to the CRP, an “equity” program created by Democrat lawmakers in 2022 and run by the state Department of Commerce.
At the time, the agency director said he was pushing for better oversight of the CRP contracts. But now he’s leaving Commerce, so let’s see if that happens after all.
Then there’s the granddaddy of fraud in our state: the money stolen from the Employment Security Department (ESD) in 2020. It totaled anywhere from $645 million to over $1 billion, depending on who you ask. The ESD commissioner at the time, better known as a high-powered fundraiser for Democrats, faced no consequences and within months jumped to a new job with the Biden administration.
Childcare-subsidy programs across the nation receive big chunks of federal money through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In our state and in Minnesota, those programs are administered by agencies that coincidentally have the same name — the Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Fraud and mismanagement in Minnesota’s childcare program apparently is old news within the state, yet these latest allegations are making national headlines. That’s likely because of who’s asking the questions now — federal Republicans — and how the claims of potentially criminal behavior involve facilities tied to members of Minnesota’s large and therefore politically influential Somali community.
In our state, the fact that DCYF is involved is enough reason to be worried. The agency’s terrible record of performance includes its inability to protect at-risk children and failure to manage juvenile-justice facilities like Green Hill School in Chehalis.
Unfortunately, the state officials who should be most concerned about the possibility of childcare-funding fraud seem more interested in playing politics — and I don’t mean the state auditor, whose office is coincidentally wrapping up an audit of the state’s use of federal funds received from HHS.
Gov. Bob Ferguson went on social media to share how he had met with Somali American community leaders “to discuss the deep damage inflicted by Donald Trump’s harmful rhetoric and reckless deportations.”
He didn’t mention the deep damage that would be inflicted on the public’s trust in government if any childcare-funding fraud is found here.
Ferguson’s successor as attorney general went down a similar path. While Nick Brown’s public statement eventually advised people who suspect fraud to contact DCYF, it emphasized his contact with Somali community members regarding the alleged harassment of home-based daycare providers, followed by a plug for his office’s hate crimes hotline.
Meanwhile, there’s a new Senate Democrat bill to legally hide the names of every person in our state licensed or certified to provide childcare in our state. If passed, Senate Bill 5926 would certainly hinder news reporters or anyone else seeking to learn more about who receives federal childcare dollars.
If Ferguson truly agrees with Republicans that our state has an affordability crisis, he should also agree that fraud is one of the enemies of affordability. When public dollars are lost to fraud, someone is going to pay: either taxpayers make up the loss, or the people who truly need the help suffer. Neither is affordable — nor acceptable.
Some of the fraud alleged in Minnesota involves facilities that received taxpayer subsidies but didn’t appear to actually serve any children. I’ve heard childcare providers say that couldn’t happen here, based on their inspection experience. But what if inspections aren’t done in a consistent manner statewide? Do those who preach equity truly want the rules to be enforced not only legally but fairly, without one group or another receiving preferred treatment?
Republicans remember how, in his inaugural address a year ago, the governor repeatedly mentioned that the times “call for action.” Well, this is one of those times.
People across our state work hard to support their families. They pay their taxes and get frustrated, even angry, when those tax dollars are lost or wasted. They feel like fools for following the rules when others aren’t expected to do the same — or are even given incentive to break the rules.
Instead of remaining silent or casting aspersions on those asking questions, Democrats need to act. If a professional investigation into credible allegations of childcare fraud turns up nothing, people should know that, too. Transparency builds public trust. Refusing to even look will have the opposite effect.
They would be wise to listen to fellow Democrat Brian Sonntag, who stepped down after five terms as state auditor just when I began my first term as a senator. He understands the desire to get money out the door to help people, but at the same time, as Sonntag put it in a recent television interview, “you’ve got to be accountable over those dollars and be able to demonstrate to the public the controls in place to safeguard that public money.”
Republicans agree. Washingtonians can’t afford to allow fraud of any kind. State leaders must do better.
Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia)
Senator John Braun was first elected to the Washington State Senate in 2012 to represent Southwest Washington’s 20th Legislative District, which includes most of Cowlitz and Lewis counties along with parts of Clark and Thurston.
John is leader of the Senate Republican Caucus and a member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, the Labor & Commerce Committee, and the Housing Committee.
Prior to his business career, John served on active duty in the U.S. Navy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington and master’s degrees in business administration and manufacturing engineering from the University of Michigan.
He and his family reside on a small farm in rural Lewis County, outside Centralia.
COMMENTARY DISCLAIMER: The views and comments expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Lynnwood Times nor any of its affiliates.
Author: Lynnwood Times Contributor
