Brian Shortsleeve for Massachusetts BOSTON, MA — Republican candidate for governor Brian Shortsleeve released the following statement after the Healey Administration promoted Acting Department of Transitional Assistance Director Michael Cole to permanent commissioner amid ongoing SNAP fraud concerns:
“Massachusetts just learned from a whistleblower that fraud inside DTA is ‘rampant,’ federal prosecutors have uncovered major fraud rings, the State Auditor has documented millions in public benefits fraud,” said Shortsleeve. “The appropriate response is to clean house, not elevate an agency insider. That’s not accountability. That’s the Beacon Hill status quo: protect insiders, ignore failures, and hope taxpayers don’t notice. Promoting leadership in the middle of a fraud scandal sends a clear message that nothing is going to change.
“Taxpayers and vulnerable families both lose when fraud is ignored. Every dollar stolen is a dollar taken from someone who truly needs help. Healey’s response isn’t to stop the fraud, but to resist legitimate attempts by the federal government to protect this program, its beneficiaries and the taxpayers.
“I know how to clean up fraud and abuse in state government because I’ve done it before. Nobody else in this race has that experience. Massachusetts needs a governor who will demand transparency, root out corruption, and fix broken agencies, not reward failure and call it progress.
“Nothing will change until we change leadership.”