Rep. Schmidt 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:
“Illinois’ recent audit report revealed over $5 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims over two years, with the estimate potentially being higher. The Pritzker Administration’s mismanagement and lack of transparency have led to severe consequences for taxpayers and job creators. These funds should have been spent on the unemployed, not on fraudulent actors. Urgent reforms are needed to address the repeated failures at IDES.”