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Hennepin County creates fraud prevention department, appoints Elizabeth Baltos as director
Summary
The board approved the creation of a Department of Fraud Prevention and Program Integrity and appointed Elizabeth Baltos as director effective Sept. 22, 2024, citing growing complexity and sophistication of fraud schemes affecting public assistance programs.
Hennepin County on Aug. 20 voted to create a Department of Fraud Prevention and Program Integrity and appointed Elizabeth Baltos as its director, effective Sept. 22, 2024. County staff said the move responds to increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes affecting public assistance and recommended the new division report to the deputy county administrator for health and human services.
A county official recommending the appointment said Baltos "brings over 38 years of experience working as an attorney in the public sector" and outlined that the new role will integrate fraud prevention strategies, collaborate with state and local law enforcement, and lead policy and training efforts. Commissioner Jeff Lundy praised the action and warned of large-scale fraud at the state level, saying the scale of losses has been "astronomical." Baltos accepted the appointment, saying she was "honored to accept this appointment today" and that she will work to safeguard public assistance programs.
The board approved the creation of the department and appointment by voice vote. Staff and commissioners discussed the need both to detect and to prevent fraud, and the item passed without recorded opposition in the transcript.
