SE Minnesota News

Congressman Brad Finstad, who represents Minnesota’s 1st district in the U.S. Congress, has introduced new legislation called the Fraud Accountability and Recovery Act (FAR ACT). The proposed law would prevent the President from giving foreign aid to any country that shelters individuals convicted of defrauding the United States or does not help recover stolen funds.

The bill follows recent developments in the Feeding Our Future fraud case, where a trial revealed that millions of dollars stolen from federal programs were sent to Kenya. The presiding judge confirmed that the U.S. government currently lacks options to recover these funds once they are transferred overseas.

“Hardworking Americans should never have to foot the bill for criminals who defraud federal programs and then hide behind foreign borders,” said Congressman Finstad. “The Fraud Accountability and Recovery Act sends a clear message: If you steal from U.S. taxpayers, you cannot escape accountability by moving money or yourself overseas. We will do everything in our power to recover stolen funds and hold bad actors responsible.”

According to data from the Government Accountability Office, fraud costs the federal government between $233 billion and $521 billion each year. In Minnesota alone, over $250 million intended for pandemic relief was taken through the Feeding Our Future scheme, making it the largest COVID-19 fraud case nationally. So far, 75 people have been charged with crimes such as wire fraud, conspiracy, theft of government funds, bribery related to federal programs, and money laundering.

The stolen money has been used for luxury real estate purchases, vehicles, and other items; significant amounts were moved abroad. This highlights gaps in current laws that make it difficult for U.S. authorities to retrieve taxpayer money once it leaves the country.

Brad Finstad has served in Congress since 2022 after replacing Jim Hagedorn as representative for Minnesota’s 1st district (https://finstad.house.gov/about). Before his time in Congress, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009 (https://finstad.house.gov/about). Finstad was born in New Ulm, Minnesota in 1976 and still lives there at age 46 (https://finstad.house.gov/about). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota.