MILWAUKEE – A settlement by federal officials says The Wisconsin Department of Health Services will pay a $7 million penalty to the federal government to resolve concerns that the state made false claims about the administration of the nutrition assistance program in Wisconsin known as SNAP.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “An investigation found that the agency’s reported low error rates earned it performance bonuses for 2009, 2010 and 2011 that it was not entitled to, Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Anderson for the Western District of Wisconsin said in a statement.”
“While I am deeply troubled that these actions happened within a state agency entrusted with assisting vulnerable and needy Wisconsin residents, I am heartened that WDHS has cleaned up its act and that it cooperated with our investigation,” Anderson said. The investigation of the agency involved the USDA Office of Inspector General, the federal Department of Justice’s Civil Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“This settlement reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that taxpayer funds are spent appropriately so that the public can have confidence in the integrity of programs like SNAP,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler for the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
For more visit, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
