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Rep. Craig Reintroduces Bill to Up Penalties for Fraud in Federal Programs, Hold Perpetrators Accountable

January 20, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig reintroduced her legislation to crack down on fraud in federal programs.

Rep. Craig’s Stop Fraud in Federal Programs Act would increase the penalty for Federal Programs Bribery to 20 years in prison and require sponsors to have third-party auditors. For example, this would ensure that sponsors, like Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future, whose leadership was involved in a more than $250 million pandemic-era fraud scheme, cannot self-certify that they have delivered meals, adding an extra layer of accountability.

“The fraud that has been uncovered in Minnesota is not only a gross misuse of Minnesotans’ tax dollars, it’s a serious threat to public trust in our government,” said Rep. Craig. "We have to work to restore that trust and ensure fraud schemes like the one executed by Feeding Our Future can never happen again. That starts with prosecuting perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law, and this bill will help us do that.”

Rep. Craig has carried legislation to end fraud in federal programs since 2023. You can read the full text of the bill here

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