ST. PAUL, Minn. (Valley News Live) — A Minnesota nonprofit accused of submitting false claims for federal child nutrition funds has agreed to pay $18.5 million and dissolve, under a civil lawsuit and settlement the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office filed Sept. 24 in Hennepin County District Court against Partners in Nutrition, doing business as Partners in Quality Care (PIN).
The settlement resolves a state investigation into PIN’s role as a sponsor of federal child nutrition programs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the complaint, PIN served as a sponsor for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), two USDA programs administered in Minnesota by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). As a sponsor, PIN was responsible for overseeing food distribution sites and submitting monthly reimbursement claims to MDE based on meals those sites reported serving.
The complaint states that PIN’s reimbursement claims rose sharply during the pandemic. From October 2019 to September 2020, PIN claimed about 3 million meals for roughly $5.8 million in reimbursement. During the same period one year later, PIN claimed more than 32 million meals for more than $75 million.
The complaint centers on PIN’s sponsorship of several groups of sites — including Mind Foundry, Multiple Community Services and Matthews Park, Gedo Community Services, and Minnesota’s Somali Community — alleging PIN submitted false...
Join our lawyers for a recorded webcast as they analyze key developments in False Claims Act enforcement related to healthcare, government contracting, DEI, financial services, and trade, and offer...