MDE Commissioner target of criticism at hearings on child nutrition fraud

(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Heather Mueller is the target of criticism at legislative committee hearings looking into alleged fraud in the child nutrition program.

State Senator Roger Chamberlain questioned Mueller on whether the MDE should have known sooner about the alleged fraud stemming from nonprofit Feeding Our Future and whether they should have acted. Mueller says the fraud was caught within the very first month, but the MDE doesn't have investigative authority.

Mueller says her department's actions were the reason the alleged fraud was caught. Feeding Our Future is the subject of a massive FBI investigation.