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HENNEPIN CNTY. DIST. CT.Court order

Minnesota Attorney General settles False Claims Act suit against Partners in Nutrition for $18.5 million

By LexCircuit Desk · · AI-drafted, human-reviewed

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a civil False Claims Act lawsuit and concurrent settlement in Hennepin County District Court on Thursday against child nutrition program sponsor Partners in Nutrition. The agreement resolved allegations that the nonprofit submitted fraudulent meal reimbursement claims to the Minnesota Department of Education between October 2020 and February 2022. Partners in Nutrition agreed to pay $18,517,909.27, representing its entire remaining funds, produce internal records to investigators, and permanently dissolve as a corporate entity.

Order (District Court of Minnesota, Fourth Judicial District) → · Minnesota Attorney General's Office, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, Sahan Journal

Key points

  • The settlement includes a stayed $1 million civil penalty that triggers if Partners in Nutrition violates the judgment or conceals assets.Minnesota Attorney General's OfficeFOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
  • Recovered funds will be transferred to the Minnesota Department of Education for return to the United States Department of Agriculture.Minnesota Attorney General's Office
  • The consent judgment explicitly excludes officers, employees, site operators, and third-party vendors from individual liability releases, leaving them subject to continued investigation.Minnesota Attorney General's Office
  • The complaint detailed $54 million diverted through food distribution sites whose operators subsequently pleaded guilty to federal criminal fraud charges.Sahan Journal
  • Partners in Nutrition denied all liability, stating it entered the agreement solely to avoid protracted litigation costs.Sahan Journal

Sources5 articles across 4 outlets

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