Rep Boehnke Calling for Immediate ESD Fraud Investigation

Based upon his years of service in the military and commercial-business (30-plus) especially in the world of cyber-security, Rep. Matt Boehnke (R-Kennewick) is demanding the Legislature meet get to the bottom of what happened with the ESD scam.

ShiftWa and other sources are reporting that Boehnke, and some other legislators, are calling for a special session and investigation, now.  State Employment Security Officials promise that will happen, but Boehnke and others don't want it put off.

Boehnke, told ShiftWa: (courtesy of ShiftWa website)

"I believe the Washington State Employment Department (ESD) was involved in a series of highly orchestrated cyber-attacks by an intelligent, well-organized criminal organization.  This organization has a history of conducting reconnaissance, scanning, gaining access, maintaining access, and covering their tracks.  During the reconnaissance phase, which I believe began earlier than Governor Inslee’s “stay home, stay safe” order, this organization conducted surveillance operations to understand and learn as much as possible about the standard operating procedures within the ESD. Then when the order was given, they slowly began this fraud operation on the citizens of Washington.  Remember, these are citizens who were just told they were unemployed, most live paycheck-to-paycheck, and are just trying to put food on their tables."

Boehnke also laid out what strategies should have been in place and utilized to prevent what many are saying is the largest employment security fraud incident in US history.

He is also calling for public hearings to get to the bottom of the matter, then a bi-partisan solution can be arrived at to prevent another incident.

Earlier at the end of May, the ESD claimed it had recovered $300 million of the stolen money, weeks earlier, though, they said the Nigerian ring had gotten $200 million. Now, some estimates put the final tally of damage at several hundred million dollars above what's been recovered.

To read more of his comments in the interview with ShiftWa, click on the button below.