Previously Published in The Messenger
By Matt Meduri
In the wake of the earth-shattering fraud uncovered in Minnesota, Republican New York State Senators are calling for an independent audit of State programs to ensure that public funds are utilized only for authorized activities.
For Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), the point is getting ahead of the curve to safeguard taxpayer dollars. He and the GOP Senate Conference penned a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul (D-Hamburg) to promulgate these audits.
“In response to the deeply troubling and long-term fraud uncovered in Minnesota surrounding deceptive use of taxpayer funding for sham daycare centers and programs, the Senate Republican Conference and I are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to immediately hire a private professional services firm to conduct a truly independent audit of programs administered by state agencies to ensure that public funds are only being distributed to authorized organizations and individuals, and utilized for authorized activities,” said Mattera in a statement.
Mattera is joined by Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda), who is introducing a bill to require an “independent audit of New York State government programs by a professional third party and to mandate that all findings of fraud or abuse will be promptly referred to appropriate law enforcement authorities.”
Senators point to several examples, such as a $68 million Medicaid fraud scheme committed by a Brooklyn adult daycare operator found by the Department of Justice, a $2.6 billion overpayment by the State in Medicaid premiums for non-New York State residents, $13 million in Medicaid fraud for transporting patients to medical appointments, and $7 million in fraudulent Medicaid billing.
“If Governor Hochul isn’t alarmed by what’s happening in Minnesota, New Yorkers will lose even more trust in how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent,” said Leader Ortt in a statement. “The Governor must do her job and guarantee this isn’t happening here. If nothing is amiss, there is no excuse for refusing a comprehensive, independent audit. Failing to act would be an extreme disservice to taxpayers.”
The letter also outlines “Albany Democrats’ out-of-control spending” that has “ballooned the State budget to $254 billion.” Medicaid costs taxpayers approximately $120 billion annually, more per capita than any other state in the nation.
“If the Governor does not act, then Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature must pass our bill that will give taxpayers confidence their money isn’t being used inappropriately,” added Ortt.
The Senators also state that the issue is “especially urgent,” as “dozens of counties across New York have already exhausted their allotted State funding for the Child Care Assistance Program.” They also add that Hochul’s proposal for universal Pre-K in the current session of the Legislature requires added assurance that programs are “efficient, transparent, and free from fraud.”
“I am very concerned with what has been happening in Minnesota, and we should do everything in our power to ensure that it isn’t happening here in New York State, especially at a time when we know the state allocation of funds for child care is insufficient to meet the current needs of the residents of my district and throughout the state,” stated Senator Bill Weber (R-Montebello), Ranking Member of Senate Budget and Revenue Committee.
Mattera added, “The scamming efforts of those in Minnesota were permitted to continue for far too long and we must stand up for New York families and businesses. If there is fraud and abuse, it must be rooted out NOW. A truly independent audit is the only way to uncover abuse, protect taxpayers, and hold wrongdoers accountable.”
All Republican Senators from the Suffolk delegation signed the letter: Senators Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue), and Alexis Weik (R-Sayville).