Ann Arbor Times

State Representative Jason Woolford (R-Howell) has played a key role in authorizing a subpoena for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel. The decision was made during a House Oversight Committee vote, following months of Woolford's investigation into the misuse of public assistance programs managed by MDHHS.

"House Republicans are fighting for transparency at even the highest levels of state government because we believe very simply that government functions better when it is accountable to the people," Woolford stated. He emphasized the need for accountability due to information about abuse and exploitation within MDHHS's public assistance programs, which he claims have cost taxpayers millions.

Woolford chairs the House Oversight Subcommittee on State and Local Public Assistance Programs. His subcommittee has been examining waste, fraud, and abuse across various government programs under MDHHS. Notably, Michigan’s food assistance programs have reportedly suffered from widespread fraudulent use, potentially misallocating tens of millions in taxpayer funds. The subpoena requires Hertel to appear before the Oversight Committee on September 9th.

"What we’ve seen out of MDHHS in recent years is an unacceptable level of misconduct," Woolford remarked. He criticized Hertel's leadership and called for an end to what he described as wasteful spending and rampant fraud within MDHHS's public assistance initiatives.