LANSING, MI (MPRN)— The Unemployment Insurance Agency fielded lawmakers’ questions Tuesday regarding nearly $4 billion it wrongfully paid out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The questions from a joint meeting of the state House and Senate Oversight Committees were over an Auditor General’s report.
Democratic state Representative David LaGrand says the UIA misinterpreted federal guidelines.
“They were told by the federal government that they had massively misapplied that language. They told that they were told that six months earlier. And the problem wasn’t immediately rectified,” he says.
New UIA director Julia Dale says she can guarantee accountability going forward.
“I am already articulating to staff if there is a problem, if there is a pinch point, if there is an issue, I want to know about it.”
More reports from the Auditor General are set to come out next year.