Attorney General Ellison statement on inclusion of MAP Act funding in budget deal
May 14, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, Attorney General Ellison released the following statement after Governor Walz and legislative leaders announced a budget agreement that funds the expansion of his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU):
“I am pleased that yesterday’s budget agreement includes the funding Minnesota needs to expand my nation-leading Medicaid fraud-fighting team. We have already convicted hundreds of fraudsters for stealing money that should be going to Minnesotans’ healthcare, and the resources provided by this budget agreement will help us double down on our record of success. I’m grateful to Senator Johnson Stewart and Representative Norris for working alongside me for over a year to get this accomplished, and to Governor Walz and leaders in the House and Senate for making it a priority to give us the resources we need to hire more fraud fighters. This is a good deal for Minnesotans.”
The funding in the budget agreement was originally contained in the Medical Assistance Protection Act, or MAP Act, which was authored by Representative Matt Norris and Senator Ann Johnson Stewart in coordination with Attorney General Ellison. That funding will allow Attorney General Ellison’s MFCU to add 18 new staff members to account for an almost tripling of the numbers of fraud referrals the MFCU has received. The bill will increase the MFCU’s staff from 32 to 50 people. With those funds, the MFCU would add 11 investigators, 3 attorneys, and 4 support staff to the unit.
Attorney General Ellison’s MFCU has secured over 340 convictions and won over $90 million in restitution and recoveries since he was first elected. Last year, Attorney General Ellison's MFCU ranked sixth in investigations per Medicaid expenditure, fifth in fraud charges, and eight in fraud convictions in the entire country. Further, Attorney General Ellison’s MFCU ranks fifth in fraud convictions in the entire country over the last six years on average.
