Will fed probe in Minn. return spotlight to NC’s ‘Balanced Nutrition’ ?
It looks like they (and WE, as taxpayers) have a potentially horrible mess at-hand in Minnesota:
[…] At the heart of the issue is the sprawling, $250 million “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded children’s nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump and other officials have zeroed in on this and other alleged fraud schemes in recent weeks, arguing that the criminal activity is a result of mismanagement and “incompetence” from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate. […]
In case you’re wondering, “Feeding our Future” has been funded by a federal program called Child And Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The CACFP money was funneled into Minnesota state agencies and out to various contractors and service-providers. The federal funds are meant to reimburse folks who feed lower-income kids and adults at daycare centers.
CACFP has been funneling money into several states over the years. In fact, it funded the work of a non-profit called Balanced Nutrition, which employed (at various times) former Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, his wife Yolanda Hill, their daughter Kimberly Cephas, and Yolanda’s mother among others. (Hill was the primary agent for the non-profit.)
As you can see, we put in about a year’s worth of effort reporting on some things about Balanced Nutrition that we believed worthy of some scrutiny / clarification / explanation. *Some very unusual accounting practices, among other things.*
The drive-by media – for the most part – was much more interested in Mark Robinson‘s browsing of Nude Africa than some potentially serious mishandling of taxpayer money by friends and relatives of a senior state official.
It was a politically-sticky wicket. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) was administering the CACFP funding in North Carolina. Balanced Nutrition reported to NC DHHS, which was then under the aegis of Gov. Roy Cooper. Then-attorney general Josh Stein‘s wife had a senior position with NC DHHS. Stein, of course, was responsible for any probative, investigative efforts at NC DHHS.
Stein was running for governor against Robinson, whose wife was the registered agent for Balanced Nutrition. A review of Balanced Nutrition – encompassing only the first quarter of 2024 — found more than $132,000 in government funds had been *mishandled* by Balanced Nutrition. Hill appealed the finding which ended by being reduced to about $101,000. Hill and Balanced Nutrition were invoiced for the amount in question and Balanced Nutrition was shuttered.
Hill continued to dispute the six-figure finding. The last word we got on the dispute was that the demand for reimbursement from Balanced Nutrition. had been turned over to new attorney general Jeff Jackson and the NC Department of Justice for *collections.*
Since then, there has been radio silence on Balanced Nutrition. Roy Cooper has moved on with his DC ambitions. Josh Stein is moving on with his governor thing. Mark Robinson and Yolanda Hill are off the political radar.
There has not been one public word about when or if we will ever see the taxpayer funds in question recovered from Yolanda Hill and the other parties to Balanced Nutrition.
Making Balanced Nutrition go away has bipartisan advantages. The NCGOPe gets Mark Robinson off the front pages and out of their collective hair. Roy Cooper avoids public criticism over his management of the state’s social welfare system. Josh Stein avoids uncomfortable questions about how all this went on at NC DHHS despite his wife and at least one of his NC DOJ attorneys on-site at NC DHHS.
Remember – the disputed $101,000 amount was only for a three-month period. We found questionable financial reporting spanning years and years that really needs to be examined by someone in authority. Why did we stop at just those three months?
A deeper dive into Balanced Nutrition by higher authorities is likely to find further embarrassment for both parties in Raleigh. Many of you out there don’t realize that the biggest game in Raleigh is to get elected and reelected so you can line your cronies up at the public trough and keep them enriched at the expense of YOU and ME.
