Rep. Friess released the following statement today after a new Illinois Auditor General report showed the Illinois Department of Unemployment Security paid out $5.24 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims from 2020 to 2022:
“IDES was recently audited, revealing over $5 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims over two years. What’s even worse is that the real number is likely higher. I have joined my Republican colleagues in calling for IDES reforms to prevent fraud, but we were shut down by the Pritzker Administration. These kind of failures are catastrophic and cannot continue. For the sake of our citizens and job creators, these failures should be investigated and prevented.”