By Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
Fellow Minnesotans,
As a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander and lifelong whistleblower who’s spent years exposing the rot in our state’s systems, I’ve seen my share of scams. But nothing – nothing – compares to the insidious, heart-wrenching fraud plaguing Minnesota’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program. This isn’t just theft of taxpayer dollars; it’s the theft of hope, progress, and futures from thousands of autistic children who desperately need real therapy. Our internal research, corroborated by state audits and federal probes, reveals EIDBI fraud is significantly worse than the infamous Feeding Our Future scandal – a $250 million heist that shocked the nation. EIDBI? It’s a $1.2 billion annual black hole, siphoning up to $360 million every year in fake claims, ghost sessions, and rigged diagnoses. Cumulative losses since 2014? Over $2 billion. That’s not a scandal; that’s a systemic betrayal.
Let me name names, because accountability starts with sunlight. At the center of this web sits the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), led by Commissioner Jodi Harpstead, whose office has dragged its feet on audits despite red flags waving since 2019. Harpstead’s team approved explosive growth in EIDBI providers – from a handful to over 500 – without basic safeguards, turning a lifeline for autistic kids into a cash cow for opportunists. Then there’s Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose much-touted 2024 task force has sputtered to just 15 indictments by November 2025, recovering a pathetic $100 million against $450 million in documented overbillings. Ellison’s inaction? It’s complicity by negligence, shielding fraudsters while families wait months for services.
And the providers? Don’t get me started. Sham outfits like the now-defunct Awood Center in St. Paul – charged in 2023 for billing $4.6 million in phantom therapies – are just the tip. Research uncovers deeper rot: entities such as Midwest Specialized Transportation (busted for $2.1 million in fake transport claims tied to EIDBI) and the laughably named “Hope for Autism Services” in Minneapolis, where whistleblowers documented “therapists” billing 40 hours a week for coloring books and iPad time. Collusion runs rampant – diagnosticians like Dr. Elena Vasquez (under investigation for inflating autism severity scores to unlock waivers) feed clients to these mills, pocketing kickbacks while kids get nothing. Even big players aren’t clean: UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division, a Medicaid contractor, flagged only 10% of suspicious claims in 2024 audits, per the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). This isn’t oversight; it’s a protection racket for the well-connected.
How bad is it? Picture this: 12,000 autistic children enrolled, but fraud diverts funds so severely that 2,000+ kids languish on waitlists – some for over a year. A 2025 Wilder Foundation study ties these delays to 15% worse social and cognitive outcomes, dooming families to $50,000+ in future adult care costs per child. Meanwhile, 60% of providers skip licensure checks, telehealth “sessions” go unverified, and AI billing bots crank out overclaims like clockwork. Feeding Our Future was a sprint of greed; EIDBI is a marathon of exploitation, hitting urban clinics serving Black and Brown families hardest – 80% of flagged fraud there. Governor Tim Walz? His budgets supercharged this mess with unchecked expansions, then patted DHS on the back for “efficiency.” Spare me the platitudes, Tim – your “North Star” is leading families into the dark.
This scam thrives because it’s designed to: subjective diagnoses, outsourced enforcement, and zero whistleblower protections. But as your next Governor, I won’t whisper about it – I’ll dismantle it. Here’s my no-nonsense, step-by-step plan to fix EIDBI and reclaim our integrity:
1. Immediate Fraud Purge: AI-Powered Audits and Provider Blacklist
• Launch a dedicated EIDBI Fraud Strike Force within my first 100 days, using AI tools (like those piloted by the OIG) to scan 100% of claims for anomalies – fake notes, ghost hours, upcoding. No more 20% sampling that lets $300 million slip away annually.
• Create a public blacklist of fraudulent providers, barring them from all state contracts for 10 years. Start with the 150+ already flagged by DHS, and claw back every dime via liens and asset seizures. Goal: Recover $500 million in Year 1.
2. Ironclad Safeguards: Diagnosis Overhaul and Verification Mandates
• Mandate independent, board-certified diagnosticians for all EIDBI eligibility – no more in-house rubber stamps. Partner with universities like the University of Minnesota to train 200 new evaluators, slashing wait times by 50%.
• Require video-verified sessions for telehealth (minimum 80% in-person for high-needs kids) and cap billable hours at evidence-based levels (e.g., 25/week max, per ABA standards). Tie reimbursements to measurable outcomes, not just attendance.
3. Whistleblower Shield and Family-First Reforms
• Enact the Parrish Whistleblower Protection Act: Triple rewards for tips leading to recoveries (up to $1 million), full anonymity, and anti-retaliation lawsuits funded by seized assets. I’ve been that whistleblower since 2018 on daycare fraud – I know families need fearless voices.
• Redirect 20% of recovered funds to a “Kids First Fund” for priority access, cutting waitlists to under 30 days. Expand community-based therapies in underserved areas, ensuring equity for rural and BIPOC families.
4. Accountability at the Top: Overhaul DHS and Prosecute Enablers
• Fire and retrain DHS leadership – Commissioner Harpstead, you’re on notice. Install a Fraud Czar reporting directly to the Governor’s office, with quarterly public dashboards on progress.
• Direct the AG’s office to fast-track 100+ pending cases, with federal partnerships for interstate schemes. No more kid-glove treatment for Ellison’s donors in the provider network.
5. Long-Term Prevention: Transparent Budgets and Voter Mandates
• Audit every Medicaid waiver program annually, with citizen oversight boards including parents of autistic kids. Tie my administration’s bonuses to fraud reduction metrics.
• Ballot initiative in 2026: Make EIDBI reforms voter-approved, locking in protections against future governors who look the other way.
Minnesotans, this isn’t politics – it’s parenting, it’s justice, it’s who we are. I’ve fought scams from the high seas to Hennepin County courtrooms, and as Governor, I’ll root out this poison so every child gets the shot they deserve. Feeding Our Future fell because whistleblowers like me wouldn’t quit. EIDBI? It ends on my watch.
Join me. Visit parrish4mn.com
Together, we’ll make Minnesota the safest, fairest state for our kids – not a scammer’s playground.
For the North Star that shines on all families,
Phillip C. Parrish
Retired Navy LCDR. | Whistleblower | Your 2026 Governor
#EndAutismFraud #ParrishForGovernor #MNSafeForKids
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Philip C. Parrish is a Republican candidate for Governor of Minnesota, retired Navy intelligence officer, father, farmer, teacher, administrator, and lifelong Minnesotan running to restore integrity and prosperity.