Top House Republican Calls for Fraud Crackdown

ST. PAUL (AP) -- The top Republican in the Minnesota House says a legislative auditor's report shows that fraud is pervasive within the state's Child Care Assistance Program.

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt says it's clear that state agencies have not been aggressive enough in putting a stop to the fraud. He calls that ``outrageous'' and says new leadership is needed across state agencies that will make fighting fraud their top priority.

The Child Care Assistance Program, administered by the Department of Human Services, helps low-income families pay for child care.

Legislative Auditor James Noble released the report Wednesday. It says fraud in the program is a recognized problem, but investigators couldn't establish how big. His investigators believe it's more than the $5 million to $6 million that prosecutors have been able to prove.