Republican state senators are pushing Beacon Hill to investigate out-of-state spending of welfare dollars following the Herald’s two-part report on EBT expenditures from Hawaii to Alaska.
State Sen. Ryan Fattman has been joined by GOP colleagues Bruce Tarr, Peter Durant and Patrick O’Connor in seeking a probe by the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight.
“The sheer volume of out-of-state transactions and withdrawals, particularly in states like Hawaii over 5,000 miles from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by EBT cardholders warrants an investigation into DTA’s oversight of the program that disbursed $3 billion in state and federal assistance in FY’24,” the letter shared with the Herald reads.
Fattman, a Sutton Republican and ranking party member of the Post Audit and Oversight Committee, said Monday hard times are ahead for budget writers and EBT spending is one area that could bring money back to Massachusetts.
“There needs to be more transparency,” he said. “The state government seems to be just blinking and doing nothing with tough budget times ahead.”
As the Herald reported, dipping into welfare cash to bankroll trips outside of Massachusetts raises too many red flags, fiscal watchdogs say.
It reeks of “fraud,” said MassFiscal’s Paul Craney said earlier this month.
Data obtained by the Herald through a public records request shows taxpayer-paid “economic assistance” for Massachusetts residents cropped up from Alabama to Arizona, Pennsylvania to Puerto Rico, Utah to Wyoming and all the New England states.
It’s all part of the $3 billion — $3,050,090,786, to be exact — federal and state dollars given out in Fiscal Year 2024, which ended in July. Many worry that the migrant crisis will only exacerbate this staggering bill.
The Department of Transitional Assistance data reveals that the single largest expenditure out of 32 in Hawaii was $378 in March of this year in Kahului on the island of Maui.
Another $351 was spent in Hilo, a region on the big island of Hawaii blessed with “dramatic waterfalls, fertile rainforests and blooming gardens,” in January. EBT money was also used in Honolulu, Pearl City, Princeville, Waikoloa, and Captain Cook according to the EBT data-entry list.
Princeville is known for “master-planned homes and condos on the north shore of the island of Kauai,” according to websites.
The DTA says its mission is to “empower low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long-term economic self-sufficiency.” A spokesperson added that any “out-of-state usage beyond approved temporary absences can result in an individual no longer receiving assistance due to not meeting Massachusetts residency requirements.”
