Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said federal authorities uncovered an organized scheme involving fraudulent autism services, false diagnoses and improper billing in Minnesota.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced what he described as the largest autism-related fraud bust in U.S. history, saying authorities had uncovered widespread misuse of public funds intended to support children with autism in Minnesota.
Kennedy said the case centered on the Early Intervention Development Program, which was created to fund autism-related care and services. According to Kennedy, the program cost $38.1 million in 2020 but had grown to $442 million by 2026, with investigators attributing much of the increase to fraud.
“Today’s arrests represent the largest autism fraud bust in American history,” Kennedy said. “This was an organized theft that exploited the most vulnerable, deceived families, stole taxpayer dollars meant to help children with autism access legitimate care and support.”
Kennedy said investigators found schemes involving services that were never provided, false diagnoses and fabricated care records used to obtain taxpayer money.
“Investigators uncovered brazen schemes that billed taxpayers for nonexistent services, fraudulent diagnoses, and fake care while criminals enriched themselves at public expense,” he added.
The arrests are part of a broader Trump administration effort to identify and prosecute fraud involving public programs. Kennedy said the Minnesota case showed how programs intended to serve vulnerable children can be exploited when oversight fails.
The announcement followed growing scrutiny of public spending in Minnesota after reports from independent journalist Nick Shirley drew attention to allegedly fraudulent daycares receiving government funds in the city.
Those reports gained wider attention during an immigration enforcement crackdown in the city and led federal law enforcement officials to more closely examine state and local expenditures.
Kennedy framed the case as both a public corruption issue and a child welfare matter, saying funds meant to provide legitimate autism care had instead been diverted through fraudulent billing and false claims.
The investigation remains part of the administration’s larger push to crack down on misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits and services across the country.
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