#MTGov Daily Rundown: Senate President Calls for Investigation of Bullock's DPHHS

State Senate President Debby Barrett is calling for an investigation into the Montana Department of Health and Human Services after the news broke last month that DPHHS auditors had claimed they were fired or punished by the Bullock Administration for pointing out wrongdoing in the agency.

"State Sen. Debby Barrett is asking for an investigation into allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within the Department of Health and Human Services."

"Barrett, the senate president, asked the audit division to investigate allegations:

• by former internal agency auditors who accused state officials of discouraging DPHHS staffers from investigating a variety of questioned payments going back 11 years;
• that a Columbia Falls vendor used more than $536,000 in federal money that was meant for financial literacy and job training to buy construction materials and equipment;
• that $4.1 million in federal money meant to defray the cost of enrolling children from low-income families in Medicaid was instead diverted to disability, drug addiction and senior care vendors;
• that internal agency auditors were not allowed to fully investigate transactions, "sometimes through bullying or being warned not to adopt a 'gotcha attitude' toward contractors';
• by two DPHHS employees they were told by Bullock to push through "questionable welfare payments" to important Democratic voting blocs;
• by former DPHHS audit reviewer Wendie Fredrickson that "state officials have accused employees of insubordination as a means of getting rid of those who speak out"; and
• at least seven employees who raised red flags were fired or demoted and three who raised questions were accused of insubordination before being fired." -Helena IR, 10/20/2016

In September, news broke that former DPHHS auditors were accusing the Bullock Administration of encouraging illegal payments, discouraging auditors from investigating wrongdoing, and punishing auditors who spoke out.

"Former Montana auditors have accused state officials of discouraging Department of Health and Human Services staffers from investigating a variety of questioned payments dating back to 2005." -Helena IR, 9/11/2016

"Emails from current and former DPHHS staffers, along with court filings and whistleblower complaints obtained by the Independent Record, identified at least seven long-tenured state employees who raised red flags before they were demoted or fired. At least three staffers who raised questions were accused of insubordination before being fired. 

Two of those staffers claim high-level administrators, acting on orders from Bullock, pushed through “questionable” welfare payments to important Democratic voting blocs on Indian reservations and ignored DPHHS auditors’ questions about hefty checks cut to major welfare program contractors. Bullock, through a spokeswoman, flatly denied those claims." -Helena IR, 9/11/2016

Where does the buck stop?

The Bullock Administration continues to have major issues overseeing state government.

ICYMI: Greg Gianforte proposes the Office of Government Accountability

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported earlier this month that the Bullock Administration has paid more than $900,000  to settle employee claims. The administration refuses to say why in most cases, and at least one legal expert says that the administration is violating the law.

"Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s administration has paid more than $900,000 in settlements to state employees over the last three years, according to public records. On most, state agencies won’t say why.

The state has paid 42 employees settlements totaling more than $745,000. Each is listed as 'confidential' in the state’s checkbook, which has been published online since 2013, the year Bullock first took office. The payments range in amounts from $120 to $122,000." -Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/13/2016

Montanans were treated to the shocking news that all of the emails on state accounts from Governor Steve Bullock's 2009-2013 term as Attorney General have been destroyed. This is despite emails clearly being considered "public record" in state law and guidance from the Secretary of State's office that public officials turn over their emails to the state archives when they leave office.

“Note the email accounts for former Attorney General Steve Bullock and his appointed staff members no longer exist, so neither the accounts nor their archives are available to search,’ he wrote. Blixseth has asked state officials for a copy of the minutes of the meeting in which they followed proper protocols and requested destruction of emails." -Great Falls Tribune, 8/31/2016

Legislative Auditors found that the Department of Corrections has been housing adult inmates at the Pine Hills Facility near Miles City and the Riverside Prison for girls near Boulder. However, Montana law prohibits adults and juveniles from being housed in the same facility.

"The Montana Department of Corrections is breaking the law by housing youth and adult offenders in the same facility and by contracting to send girl offenders to a youth prison in Idaho, a recently released audit found." -Associated Press 10/4/2016

Last year, a state audit found 125 accounting errors and a $1 billion overstatement of accumulated depreciation that occurred on Bullock’s watch. It was a “billion dollar mistake.”

“This wasn't just a single accidental oversight. Instead, the problems are deep -- 125 errors and lack of internal controls. Sadly, those controls, had they been in place, according to the audit division, could have caught these problems earlier. In other words, there weren't even controls in place to catch problems.” -Billings Gazette, 7/3/2015