A new audit is drawing attention to potential fraud risks within contracts issued by the city of Minneapolis, specifically those allocated to community groups in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. This comes as Minnesota continues to grapple with widespread fraud issues that have garnered national scrutiny.
In 2020, more than 100 contracts were awarded to various community organizations to provide alternative safety services. However, an audit, detailed in a Minnesota Star-Tribune report, found that the relaxed oversight of these agreements made them vulnerable to fraud and favoritism.
Deficiencies in Contract Oversight Identified
The recently released Neighborhood Safety Contract Management Audit Report, which examines expenditures from 2020 through 2025, concludes that the city is "not providing sufficient contract oversight or managing contracts effectively." This finding pertains to the proper administration of over $36 million spent since 2023 on five major programs focused on violence prevention.
The report cautions that Minneapolis's inadequate contract controls have significantly increased the potential for fraud and improper payments. Auditors observed that contractors frequently submitted invoices with minimal supporting documentation. Moreover, the city sometimes continued disbursing funds despite incomplete records or unresolved issues. The department responsible was also noted for lacking a standardized procedure for conducting and documenting site visits to confirm that the contracted services were actually being delivered.
Auditors further recommended that the city improve its invoice review processes, better preserve contract records, meticulously document communications with contractors, and establish clearer protocols for escalating concerns when they arise.
Scrutiny of Program Effectiveness and Contractor Vetting
Earlier reporting by a journalist raised questions regarding the measurable outcomes of Minneapolis's violence-interrupter program. In an analysis from 2023, the reporter highlighted that the city had committed up to $7.5 million to this initiative for 2022–23, with an additional $13 million budgeted for 2024–28. Despite these substantial investments, the city had not released concrete evidence demonstrating the program's effectiveness in reducing violent crime.
The journalist also investigated the financial standing and operational capacity of participating organizations. This examination revealed that several groups had annual revenues or staffing levels considerably lower than the size of the grants they received. One particular organization, We Push for Peace, had staff members involved in violent incidents outside St. Paul grocery stores in 2021, including one instance where a violence interrupter was recorded assaulting a homeless man.
The city seems primarily interested in shoveling money out the door to ‘address’ urgent problems. Little if any care is given to ensuring that the grant recipients are capable of or have a track record of doing the work, are actually doing the work contracted for, or whether that work is resulting in net benefit for city residents and taxpayers.
Broader Concerns About State Fraud
Minnesota has faced considerable criticism in recent years for insufficient onsite monitoring to prevent fraud in programs such as Feeding Our Future and various Medicaid initiatives. This new audit adds to a pattern of concerns regarding public funds management.
There was a legislative auditor report that showed that 30 property owners where these businesses claim to operate out of, contacted the Department of Education who manage it, who managed that program, and they told them one, the businesses don't exist in their facilities, so they don't exist, period, and one of them I think was a city park.
A commentator noted that the legislative auditor report on the Feeding Our Future program indicated that 30 property owners, where businesses claimed to operate, informed the Department of Education that these entities did not exist at their locations, with one even being a city park.
Public Reaction and Official Response
While the audit did not pinpoint specific instances of fraud, its warning about the heightened risk due to Minneapolis's lax oversight controls resonated with many, prompting skepticism from social media users.
Call it what it is. This isn’t a tracking glitch. It’s the same business model that looted child-nutrition money, Medicaid housing, autism therapy, and daycare: stand up a moral emergency, pour cash through politically connected nonprofits, skip site visits and receipts, then scream 'livelihoods' when anyone asks where the money went.
A retired Navy intelligence officer, Phillip C. Parrish, commented on social media, suggesting that such issues are not mere tracking errors but a recurring model involving politically connected nonprofits, minimal oversight, and resistance to accountability.
In response, a spokesperson for the Neighborhood Safety Department stated: "The Neighborhood Safety Department has a lot to be proud of. Our work is meaningful, and every day we’re working to make our City safer through innovative safety services, like violence prevention and human trafficking prevention, among others. We’ve taken several steps since the audit report to improve our processes and contract oversight. We are in the business of helping people and improving lives – and that means improving how we do it. It’s that simple."
