by Ben Whedon
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced a major fraud bust in which authorities cracked down on misuse of public funds intended for autism aid in Minnesota.
Kennedy highlighted that the original cost of the Early Intervention Development Program was a mere $38.1 million in 2020, but that it had ballooned to $442 million in 2026, with much of that increase stemming from fraud.
“Today’s arrests represent the largest autism fraud bust in American history,” he said. “This was an organized theft that exploited the most vulnerable, deceived families, stole taxpayer dollars meant to help children with autism access legitimate care and support.”
“Investigators uncovered brazen schemes that billed taxpayers for nonexistent services, fraudulent diagnoses, and fake care while criminals enriched themselves at public expense,” he added.
The bust came as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to crack down on public fraud across the nation. Revelations of massive public fraud in Minnesota went viral, following reporting from independent journalist Nick Shirley, who highlighted allegedly fraudulent daycares receiving public funds in the city.
Those revelations came amid an immigration crackdown in the city and prompted federal law enforcement to more closely scrutinize the city and states’ expenditures.
Gov. Tim Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, announced he would not seek re-election after these fraud concerns came to light.
“I won’t mince words here. Donald Trump and his allies – in Washington, in St. Paul, and online – want to make our state a colder, meaner place. They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors. And, ultimately, they want to take away much of what makes Minnesota the best place in America to raise a family. They’ve already begun by taking our tax dollars that were meant to help families afford child care. And they have no intention of stopping there,” the governor said.
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Ben Whedon is a reporter for Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
Photo “Secretary Robert Kennedy” by Secretary Robert Kennedy.
