Now playing: Fraud Committee: Customized Living and Adult Day Services
Source: Minnesota House of Representatives (MNHouseInfo) · watch the original on YouTube. Played here unaltered except as noted on this page; rights remain with the publisher.
The chair
Rep. Kristin Robbins
When the Minnesota House created the first committee in state history devoted solely to oversight, it gave the gavel to Kristin Robbins. Over sixteen months she ran twenty-five hearings, put whistleblowers on the record, sent the agencies the names of the providers her staff had flagged, and wrote it all down in an 84-page report. Much of what this site documents was first said out loud in her committee room.
25 hearingsFebruary 2025 to May 2026, every one playable here.
The final reportWaste, Fraud, and Abuse in Minnesota: 84 pages, searchable.
@KRobbinsMNOn X.
The list. Before the committee's first child-care hearing in February 2025, Robbins sent the Department of Human Services a list of 72 child-care centers her staff were concerned about. Number one was the Early Learing Center, whose owner, Fahima Mahamud, later pleaded guilty. Number five was Minnesota's Best Childcare, whose owners were later charged. In April 2026 the state's child-care agency testified that it had looked at the Early Learing Center and found no fraud. Robbins update, July 17, 2026
The whistleblower door. In March 2025 her committee opened MNFraud.com, a confidential site for state employees and others to report fraud. By the final report the committee had reviewed hundreds of whistleblower reports. Robbins release, Mar 24, 2025 report p. 5
The map she presented
On December 17, 2025, Robbins stepped down from the chair to testify, walking the committee through how one network of people, realtors and small assisted-living homes connected, and where the state's money went. Report, p. 60
Source: Assisted Living Slides, House Fraud Committee hearing, Dec 17, 2025 (committee document, as presented by Rep. Robbins) · archival copy
Her researcher, Will Golding, is credited in the report: "Without Will's dogged research, excellent writing and meticulous attention to detail, this report would not have been produced." Report, p. 12
Who she is
- Represents House District 37A (Maple Grove); first elected in 2018, now in her fourth term, which ends January 3, 2027. She represented District 34A from 2019 to 2022. Legislative Reference Library
- Born in Crookston; B.A. in economics and political science from Bethel University, M.A. in economics from Washington University; University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow, 1998-99; formerly legislative director to U.S. Rep. Harris Fawell. Legislative Reference Library
- Before chairing the fraud committee she served on Health and Human Services Policy, Human Services Finance and Policy, Judiciary, Higher Education, Rules and Taxes, and was Assistant Minority Leader in 2023-24. Legislative Reference Library
The committee she chaired
- Named chair of the new House committee on fraud, formed after the Feeding Our Future case. CCX Media
- Joined House Republicans in unveiling the fraud-prevention package HF 1-3, describing the committee as the Legislature meeting its constitutional duty to oversee the executive branch. Robbins release
- Gaveled in the first hearing, on state oversight of grants to nonprofits, with the Legislative Auditor testifying. Robbins release
- Launched MNFraud.com, a confidential reporting site for whistleblowers in state agencies and publicly funded programs. Robbins release
- The committee adopted its final report on a 4-0 roll call with four members abstaining, among them the DFL members. Session Daily calls it the first committee in state history created specifically to focus on oversight. Session Daily
- The committee's DFL lead, Rep. Dave Pinto, called it a 'spectacle' and a 'missed opportunity'; DFL members issued a separate statement. Session Daily
Moments that moved the record
- With House Republican leaders, asked the HHS Inspector General for a full independent federal audit of DHS Medicaid programs including Housing Stabilization, autism services and medical transportation. Robbins release
- Stepped down from the chair to testify herself, presenting a map of interconnected assisted-living providers, businesses and realtors tied to an indicted Feeding Our Future defendant whose facilities were still receiving DHS payments. DHS's inspector general did not corroborate the allegations at the hearing. Committee minutes; report p. 60; Minnesota Reformer
- Testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee with Reps. Walter Hudson and Marion Rarick at 'Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I'. Written testimony (PDF)
- Testified to the U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz at 'Somali Scammers: Fighting Fraud in Minnesota and Beyond'. Senate Judiciary
- Chaired the hearing on cash leaving MSP airport, with airport police, a former TSA employee, and former DHS forensics supervisor Scott Stillman. Committee minutes
- Moved to subpoena exhibits from U.S. v. Bock concerning Rep. Ilhan Omar's office. The motion won 5-3 but fell short of the two-thirds the committee's rules require; she then asked Chair James Comer and Sen. Ted Cruz for federal help. Committee minutes; Robbins release May 8
- Responded to the U.S. House Oversight report 'The Cost of Doing Nothing', saying state officials 'knew about the fraud and failed to stop it' and warning that Minnesota could lose $2 billion in federal Medicaid funds. Robbins statement
- Wrote to the state child-care agency, USDA and USDA's inspector general questioning a waiver that lets Minnesota accept verbal SNAP signatures without an audio recording. Robbins release
The bills
- HF 23, extending whistleblower protection to every state employee who reports fraud, passed the House 133-0. The protections became law in the 2025 state government act (2025 Minn. Laws ch. 39). 2025 Minn. Laws ch. 39; HF 23 status
- Her anti-kickback bill (HF 3043) and grants-management training bill (HF 2891) did not pass on their own; provisions similar to both became law in 2025 (Minn. Stat. 609.542 and 16B.98, subd. 6a). KSTP; Revisor
- 2026 bills: HF 4684 (GPS and cameras in medical-transportation vehicles), HF 4664 (penalties for false statements to the Legislative Auditor, 10-year limitations period), HF 4029 (disclosure of payment withholds within 30 days), HF 4503 (material support for terrorism), HF 3850, HF 4593 and HF 4929. None received a floor vote. Revisor author search
Before the committee
- In her first session co-authored a House Republican package to fight child-care subsidy fraud, responding to the Legislative Auditor's report. Robbins release
- Joined the House Republican request to Speaker Hortman for DHS oversight hearings. Robbins release
- Urged the House Education chairs to hold hearings on the Department of Education's handling of Feeding Our Future, including why it resumed payments. Robbins release
- After an auditor's report on weak controls in the Senior Nutrition Program, pressed her bill for uniform grant standards. Robbins release
Recognition
- Alliance for Hope International's 2026 Purple Ribbon Award for Outstanding Legislator. Robbins release
- Minnesota Association of Small Cities, 2024 Champion of Small Cities. Robbins release
- Minnesota Grocers Association, 2023 Legislator of the Year. Robbins release
Today
- Announced a 2026 campaign for governor focused on stopping fraud. FOX 9
- Suspended the campaign, saying she would serve out her House term through January 2027 and then return to private life. KTTC
What the committee report credits to her
- Chair Robbins asked DCYF Inspector General Keys whether he would want to reinstate a criminal investigation unit for childcare in DCYF; Keys answered no. p. 17
- Chair Robbins questioned DCYF about letting childcare centers with Feeding Our Future connections keep receiving taxpayer funds, asking how the sites were reviewed and what guardrails applied. p. 19
- Chair Robbins stated for the record that the judge had not ordered what the Governor at the time attributed to him, noting the judge's rare public statement (her quoted words say 'stop payments', though the chapter's issue is the continuation of payments). p. 28
- Chair Robbins rejected Deputy Commissioner Hulden's attorney-client privilege answer, saying MDE holds and can waive the privilege, and noting then-Leader Kurt Daudt had asked MDE to waive it on Sept. 27, 2022. p. 28
- Questioned how EIDBI problems became so widespread, noting hundreds of new companies without websites or phone numbers had received large reimbursements. p. 44
- Asked DHS why it was not spotting anomalies and acting before being told to by the committee or CMS, calling it a complete failure. p. 44
- Received information from CMS that DHS always had authority to designate a program high-risk and conduct pre-payment reviews, contradicting DHS's claim it lacked site-visit authority. p. 44
- Asked Inspector General Clark whether DHS needed more state authority to make unannounced site visits; Clark said yes. p. 44
- Pointed out that the people who assess children's level of need and service are often employees of the EIDBI provider. p. 45
- Said EIDBI billing had gone up 3,000% and that provider-employed assessors have an incentive to inflate billing. p. 45
- As chair, Robbins asked DHS why it was approving provider applications when it knew there was no demand. p. 55
- Robbins asked Commissioner Gandhi who was pressuring DHS to approve providers; Gandhi answered 'a whole host of legislators and providers.' p. 55
- As chair, Robbins presented the committee with a map of interconnected providers, businesses and realtors as an example of the actors behind the creation of new taxpayer-funded ALFs. p. 60
- As Chair, asked the MMB Commissioner how MMB holds agency heads accountable when they sign off on internal controls despite indictments, convictions and known fraud. p. 71
- Asked whether MMB sees its role as supporting agencies rather than holding them accountable. p. 71
- Asked what tool MMB needs, noting internal control is MMB's statutory responsibility. p. 71
- Used the OLA BHA grants audit's finding of falsified and backdated documents to question how OGM handles violations of its policies. p. 72
- Asked the Deputy Commissioner what enforcement mechanism the department needs; the report records no response. p. 72
- Summarized the problem as policies and procedures at both MMB and the grants office with no consequence when they are violated. p. 73
- Sponsor of HF 4684: NEMT vehicles with GPS and rear-facing camera, trip records, two-year retention (2026 legislative rec. 3). p. 79
- Sponsor of HF 4664: criminal penalties for false statements to or falsified documents given to the OLA, and ten-year statute of limitations for public-program fraud (2026 legislative rec. 4). p. 79
- Sponsor of HF 4029: DHS/DCYF disclosure of overpayment investigations within 30 days of a request (2026 legislative rec. 5). p. 79
- Sponsor of HF 4503: criminal penalties for providing material support or resources for terrorism (future legislative rec. 1). p. 79
- Sponsor of HF 3850: three years of proof of operation and finances for those seeking public money (future legislative rec. 2). p. 79
- HF4648 (Robbins) is cited as implementing camera and GPS/telematics tracking for NEMT under Additional Recommendation 4 (numbered HF 4684 on p.79). p. 81
- As Chair, has asked the Legislative Budget Office for 8 years to add year-over-year comparisons and percentage changes to budget spreadsheets. p. 84
Her bills in the report's recommendations
- NonEmergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) providers required to operate vehicles equipped with a global positions system and rear-facing camera, compile information for each trip, and retain recordings for two years HF 4684 p. 79
- Criminal penalties for making false statements to or falsifying documents given to the Office of Legislative Auditor and extending the statute of limitations for prosecution of fraud in public programs for ten years HF 4664 p. 79
- The Commissioners of DHS or DCYF must disclose an investigation of possible overpayments of public funds to a service provider or recipient or the reduction or withholding of payments within 30 day of a request if the Commissioner has taken action to reduce, suspend or withhold payments to the subject of the investigation and the disclosure will not harm the investigation HF 4029 p. 79
- Criminal penalties for providing material support or resources for terrorism HF 4503 p. 79
- Providers, vendors, and individuals seeking to receive public money for providing services required to submit proof of operation and finances for the most recent three years HF 3850 p. 79
- Require electronic attendance records for childcare, adult day care, sober homes, autism centers, NEMT, ICS, and other billable services. Records must be submitted and approved biweekly, before payments can be made. HF4648; HF3819 p. 80
Every statement on this page links to a public source: the committee's report, House records, hearing video, or news coverage.