Combating fraud for the sake of the vulnerable

To observe Catholic social teaching’s preferential option for the poor and vulnerable at the ballot box this fall, Catholic voters should evaluate, among other things, the gubernatorial and legislative candidates’ proposed solutions to the problem of industrial-scale theft and human services fraud that has occurred in Minnesota.

The state could be facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit in 2027, and many sense an urgency to address the problem. A variety of solutions have been proposed: better technology to administer programs; improved safety measures and checks and balances; new oversight agencies; rethinking how government partners with outside service providers; and even ending programs altogether.

But the main metric by which proposed solutions and reforms should be measured is how they will impact those who rely on the programs to survive and maintain a dignified existence. In other words, the fraud issue transcends spreadsheets and technocracy and is, fundamentally, a matter of human dignity.

Sin of corruption harms those in need

“Corruption is the plague, it’s the gangrene of society,” said Pope Francis in a notable June 2014 homily. The late pope emphasized that “the poor pay for corruption,” because the services that they need are stolen from them by the powerful and by those who take advantage of gaps in governance.

The scale and scope of human services fraud that has been uncovered in Minnesota by federal prosecutors and journalists — and the dysfunction in state government that allowed it to persist — undermine the credibility and viability of programs that are designed to serve people in need. Theft and fraud cast a cloud of suspicion over those served by important programs and jeopardize the good work done by many service providers.

Notably, when there is a will to enforce compliance with certain programs in our state government, it happens. So, the claims that “we just didn’t know; we didn’t have the resources” or that “fraud is going to be a part of every system” are not good excuses.

Shockingly, we have also learned that regulators looked the other way even when suspicions and warnings were raised about theft and fraud.

Those responsible for fraud, as well as those who are complicit by intentionally enabling it, must be held accountable so that we can restore confidence in our state’s social safety net and protect vulnerable citizens. But we cannot ignore how the fraud problem is also a crisis of principled governance.

The purpose of government

The Minnesota Constitution states that “(g)overnment is instituted for the security, benefit and protection of the people,” and can be altered or reformed whenever “required by the public good.”

And as Pope Francis noted in that June 2014 homily, Jesus calls those who hold a position of power to become “the servant.” Further, the pope stated, “the only road leading out of corruption, the only path to conquer temptation, the sin of corruption, is service. Because corruption comes from pride, from arrogance, and service is humbling: it is precisely the humble charity of helping others.”

In other words, public officials have an important responsibility to use their office to promote the common good. And that includes providing a safety net for the well-being of people on the peripheries of society — those with disability; those in prison; people with mental illness, substance use and addiction problems; the homeless and hungry; vulnerable children; the elderly and the infirm.

Public officials need to be good stewards of human services dollars by ensuring that they are distributed and used appropriately. Modernizing program delivery services and making investments when needed to improve them are always necessary for the programs to work.

Principled reform

Combating the sin of fraud, however, cannot rely on technocratic solutions alone. Only by starting from the right principles can we properly employ the right technical solutions that put beneficial public programs on sound footing for the future. And the foundational principle is the protection of human dignity.

Even with strong oversight and the proper reforms — if we are honest about the impact of human sinfulness — there may still be bad actors at times. But the possibility of bad actors should not hinder the state from acknowledging the need for reform and carrying it out to the best of its ability.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference staff created a guide of questions to ask candidates running for election in 2026 to get a better sense of where they stand on issues so that you can be informed as you vote. You can find it at mncatholic.org/election2026.

Inside the Capitol is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.