AUGUSTA, Maine - State auditor Pola Buckley has notified several state officials, including Gov. Paul LePage and Attorney General Janet Mills, that the state Department of Health and Human Services "improperly managed'' more than $13 million in federal funding.
Westbrook Rep. Drew Gattine co-chairs the Health and Human Services Committee, and believes the transfers may be illegal and that lawmakers should consider tighter controls on agency spending and contracting.
“They took over $13 million of money - taxpayer money - that was intended to go to kids and they put it into an account and used it for a different purpose," Gattine says. "And, frankly, that’s just not legal.”
But in a statement, DHHS says the transfers were properly done and that the audit was politically motivated. Buckley’s term ends this year and she is seeking another four-year term.
The audit letter says DHHS used federal funds earmarked for low-income families with children to fund contracts for the Home Based Care program, which supports seniors and disabled residents.
