BOSTON, MA – Republican candidate for Governor Brian Shortsleeve today released the following statement after federal prosecutors announced charges against 14 individuals accused of stealing more than $1.4 million in public benefits:
“This latest fraud bust by US Attorney Leah Foley once again shows Governor Healey and her administration are turning a blind eye to waste, fraud, and abuse. Maura Healey has completely ignored the fraud problem in Massachusetts while taxpayers foot the bill. Since December alone, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley has uncovered more than $63 million in fraud schemes across the Commonwealth.
“As governor, I will make rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse a top priority because every dollar stolen from taxpayers is a dollar that can’t go to the people who truly need it. I did it at the MBTA, where we uncovered fraud, cut wasteful spending, and put fraudsters behind bars, and I’m the only candidate in this race with a proven record of doing it.
“As governor, I won’t tolerate a culture where fraud is accepted as the cost of doing business. If you don’t look for waste, fraud, and abuse, you won’t find it. If you look, you will. That’s exactly what my administration will do starting Day One.”