Illegal Aliens & Unemployment Benefits

[Pooky 3,844]

Documents reveal potential widespread fraud at Department of Labor

August 5th, 2010 by Todd Shepherd

“Independence Investigates” has obtained internal emails from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) showing that a software control intended to prevent the payment of unemployment insurance to unqualified citizens as well as to illegal aliens was shut off in early 2009.

The emails dictate that former CDLE unemployment insurance director Mike Cullen demanded “Work Order 51662” be given top priority within the department. Completion of the work order would mean various questions asked of someone filing for unemployment regarding citizenship would effectively be ignored by a computer system.

The documents also show that several individuals within the department immediately raised the issue that the work order might be circumventing the law, specifically House Bill 06-1023. HB 1023 was passed in a special session of the legislature in 2006, and mandated that certain government benefits, such as unemployment insurance, be denied to illegal aliens.

In one email, an IT technician says, “This seems to be a super fast slam dunk. Do we need anything in writing from [unemployment insurance director] Mike Cullen as this seems to be a violation of the law (HB-1023)?”

Another email from a different IT technician predicted media fallout, saying, “…this ain’t all so hard to do, BUT we will effectively disabling the legislatures HB-1023 which is now state law. When Channel 4 news finds out, lots of people will be pointing finders [sic] and saying, ‘it wasn’t me.’”

An email from a business analyst attempts to assert a rationale for the work order saying, “The reason: Currently, we have several admins who are doing nothing else but keying in the returned UIB-1 information in order to ensure that people get paid. With our heavy workload, the Business needs to reassign these people to other tasks.” The same email also says that HB 1023 will be enforced again, eventually. However, no specific target date was given for the reinstatement of enforcement of HB 1023.

The CDLE told “Independence Investigates” that the execution of the work order did not violate HB-1023. Spokeswoman Cher Haavind said in an email:

The Unemployment Insurance Program accessed the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle’s database to verify that the randomly selected claimants possessed a valid license or identification number. Because various circumstances may identify a license or identification number as invalid—such as a suspended or revoked license—and the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle is not willing to provide additional information on their inquiry screen, unemployment insurance benefit payments were not denied if numbers cannot be validated through the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle.

There are several reasons the cross match system identification process was not effective in identifying illegal aliens including maiden/married name changes and expired driver’s licenses. It did nothing to address the concerns set forth in HB 06S-1023, but rather delayed benefits to thousands of eligible unemployment insurance recipients.

Haavind went on to say that prior to the passage and implementation of HB-1023, “…the Unemployment Insurance program had existing measures in place to verify legal citizenship.”

State Senator Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, was shown both the email chain, and the response from CDLE. Mitchell said, “This is gravely concerning. These messages show clear intent to evade the law and to overrule any employee concerns. The Department’s explanation sounds like a dodge, like it’s a hassle to follow the law, so they ignored it. This situation demands an audit more powerfully than anything else I’ve seen in state government. It’s important to hold accountable the people who designed or carried out this illegal policy. Since the effect of the policy was to force approvals, probably of many illegal benefit claims, it’s a reasonable suspicion it came from the top.”

Mr. Cullen was reached by phone, but requested that all comments come from CDLE. Mr. Cullen resigned from CDLE months after this directive was issued, and now works for On Point Technologies, a software firm that specializes in, among other things, preventing fraud for unemployment insurance. According to the state’s online spending database, On Point Technologies has had software contracts with the state in at least 2009 and 2010. (Because the database is a new project, information only dates back to 2009.)

(Notes: HB-1023 is properly known as HB-06S-1023, the “S” denoting that the bill was passed in a special session of the General Assembly. Also, in the emails, there are general references to “the business.” This is an expression used in the CDLE and means the unemployment insurance division.)

Independence Investigates article

I don't know what's worse here. The corruption that occurred in the first place, or the fact that the person responsible resigned his position and went to work for the company supposedly charged with preventing what he instructed in the first place. Talk about setting a fox to guard the hen house.

[john & jean 37]

about as good as making Bin Laden head of Homeland Security

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Deport the illegal alien scum.

[peejay 327]

Deport the illegal alien scum.

It is Obama administration policy that undocumented Democrats are not to be deported. ICE has been instructed to stand down and has been put on a leash. Amnesty, citizenship, and Democratic voter cards are the ultimate goal of the political commissars of the Democratic party.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

It is Obama administration policy that undocumented Democrats are not to be deported. ICE has been instructed to stand down and has been put on a leash. Amnesty, citizenship, and Democratic voter cards are the ultimate goal of the political commissars of the Democratic party.

What a shame.

[William33 110]

Illegal aliens are not a protected group as they should not be here in the first place...... This is in response to a report.

Mod hat off: Illegal Aliens should be treated harshly and summarily deported like criminals. Damn, anyone who petitioned a foreign national legally, should be "all aboard" on this topic. ####### with opposition?

[Heracles 417]

Where's the resident, IA are the best thing since slice bread?

[justashooter 430]

Illegal aliens are not a protected group as they should not be here in the first place...... This is in response to a report.

Mod hat off: Illegal Aliens should be treated harshly and summarily deported like criminals. Damn, anyone who petitioned a foreign national legally, should be "all aboard" on this topic. ####### with opposition?

not everyone on this board is who he says he is. lots of illegal lovers here, for sure. lots of people with illegals in their families, as has been admitted repeatedly.

[The_Dude 1,142]

not everyone on this board is who he says he is. lots of illegal lovers here, for sure. lots of people with illegals in their families, as has been admitted repeatedly.

Yes, there are loads of illegal alien lovers here. Shooter, you clearly have an extra chromosome. What else could explain your blaring deficiencies? Even steven doesn't support illegal aliens and I would say he's the furthest left on these boards. Stop the lies and self righteous indignation and actually read something for once. Your ignorance is painful for others to read, so please, think of others before you post this sort of drivel.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Yes, there are loads of illegal alien lovers here. Shooter, you clearly have an extra chromosome. What else could explain your blaring deficiencies? Even steven doesn't support illegal aliens and I would say he's the furthest left on these boards. Stop the lies and self righteous indignation and actually read something for once. Your ignorance is painful for others to read, so please, think of others before you post this sort of drivel.

Why do you always insult and then make your comments? Perhaps it has to do with you feeling a bit weak! Or is it you hope to draw attention away from your comments?

Edited August 9, 2010 by Col. Lingus

[The_Dude 1,142]

Why do you always insult and then make your comments? Perhaps it has to do with you feeling a bit weak! Or is it you hope to draw attention away from your comments?

Because you, and your ilk like to pretend that liberals on this board are in favor of illegal aliens. You need to stop lying and trying to distort the ideals of others and focus on your own dogma.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Because you, and your ilk like to pretend that liberals on this board are in favor of illegal aliens. You need to stop lying and trying to distort the ideals of others and focus on your own dogma.

Dude there aint no pretendin. Seems you feel sorry for everyone you wont personally help. But yet you offer up govy help to every sad sack thats mentioned in the news!

So go live in a tent and give all your money to the ones you profess to care about! Then once you fixed everyone you can get on with your life. Se ya in a few thousand years!

[The_Dude 1,142]

Dude there aint no pretendin. Seems you feel sorry for everyone you wont personally help. But yet you offer up govy help to every sad sack thats mentioned in the news!

So go live in a tent and give all your money to the ones you profess to care about! Then once you fixed everyone you can get on with your life. Se ya in a few thousand years!

Marc, stop being such a tard. I have been through the legal immigration process with my wife, and for some family members. I work in law enforcement too, so I am very anti-illegal immigration, as are duncan and just about every so-called liberal on this board. You are a liar for trying to insinuate that any of us are pro-illegal immigration, plain and simple. Stop lying to yourself, and trying to spread lies to the populace of this board. I am however pro-civil rights of american citizens. Your failure to discern this is troubling both on an individual and group level. I think this would be a product of a lack of education and lack of information on your part. You would do well to educate yourself marc.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Marc, stop being such a tard. I have been through the legal immigration process with my wife, and for some family members. I work in law enforcement too, so I am very anti-illegal immigration, as are duncan and just about every so-called liberal on this board. You are a liar for trying to insinuate that any of us are pro-illegal immigration, plain and simple. Stop lying to yourself, and trying to spread lies to the populace of this board. I am however pro-civil rights of american citizens. Your failure to discern this is troubling both on an individual and group level. I think this would be a product of a lack of education and lack of information on your part. You would do well to educate yourself marc.

Im a liar? I dont lie. thats why ppl dislike me so much. If you so pro civil rights then your good with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq right?

After all their civil rights are far more violated than someone who enters a country ILLEGALLY and then screams the latter.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Im a liar? I dont lie. thats why ppl dislike me so much. If you so pro civil rights then your good with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq right?

After all their civil rights are far more violated than someone who enters a country ILLEGALLY and then screams the latter.

Marc, If you misinterpret my position, or that of anyone on this forum as Pro-Illegal Immigration, then you are a liar, plain and simple. Stop lying.

Edit: For the record Marc, I am anti-war regarding Iraq, Afghanistan. If we are really anti-terrorist, we should be pro war against pakistan, Iran, Syria, and Isarael.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Rob & Mel