A Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) whistleblower said she has been raising red flags about fraud in the state since 2019, but has faced only unyielding retaliation in response, calling Gov. Tim Walz's assertion that he was unaware of the problem "absolutely false."
Faye Bernstein, who has worked for Minnesota's DHS for two decades in contract management and compliance, said she was subjected to a "smear campaign" for trying to make leadership aware of illegal contracting practices. She said she was called "racist" and that her work responsibilities were diminished.
"There is just a continuous effort to stifle you, to shut you up. And it is impossible to overcome," Bernstein said on "Saturday in America."
Federal prosecutors estimate that up to $9 billion was stolen through a network of fraudulent fronts posing as daycare centers, food programs and health clinics. The majority of those charged, so far, in the ongoing investigation are part of Minnesota's Somali population.
Rather than receiving thanks for speaking out about irregularities within the contracting process, Bernstein wrote in a letter obtained exclusively by "Saturday in America" that the "nearly unbearable retaliation" she faced also included being "trespassed from all DHS-owned or leased property" and investigated "at a great cost to the state."
Bernstein said she consistently raised concerns internally and escalated them "to the Governor's Office and external oversight bodies," but the response...
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