A former state Employment Security Department (ESD) employee misappropriated at least $315,282 in 2020, according to a fraud report released today by the Office of the Washington State Auditor. The investigation also identified $121,503 in questionable unemployment benefit payments associated with the same employee.
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This presentation tells the story of Washington’s Unemployment Insurance program during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, from the first American coronavirus patient diagnosed January 21 through the end of the year.
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An audit released today provides the first, high-level accounting of some of the circumstances surrounding the major fraud scheme that targeted Washington state’s unemployment benefits in the spring.
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At the State Auditor’s Office, we’ve heard from members of the public, the Legislature and the media interested to know about the work we are conducting at the state Employment Security Department (ESD). The agency was targeted in a major unemployment benefits fraud scheme earlier this year. SAO is conducting a series of audits of ESD to address three main areas of concern in the unemployment insurance program.
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