Staff Report

Augusta- U.S.House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-KY, has requested Suspicious Activity Reports from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding the Maine-based Gateway Community Services. Gateway was recently in the news for alleged MaineCare fraud after a former employee blew the whistle on their billing practices. Between 2019 and 2024, Gateway billed MaineCare $28.8 million.

“We’ve repeatedly raised concerns about MaineCare waste and fraud. Legislative Democrats refused to include safeguards and audits in the budget,” said Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart, R-Aroostook. “How much malfeasance has to come to light before Governor Mills and State House Democrats recognize there is a problem here?”

“I’ve already called on Governor Mills and state leaders to investigate Gateway Community Services after a whistleblower exposed troubling billing practices that may have defrauded MaineCare,” said Assistant Senate Republican Leader Matthew Harrington, R-York. “Maine state government needs to be honest and accountable to Maine taxpayers. Welfare fraud strips resources from Maine families that truly need our safety net.”

“If we have even a tenth of the fraud that occurred in Minnesota by Somali NGO’s this may be the biggest fraud scandal in Maine history. We need investigations now,” said House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R- Winter Harbor. 

“Governor Mills and legislative Democrats are completely ignoring the findings of their own state auditor,” said Assistant House Republican Leader Katrina Smith, R-Palermo. “That is irresponsible and hurts the people who truly rely on assistance programs and the overburdened taxpayers who pay for them.”

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