State auditor examines federal money sent to Minnesota counties during pandemic

The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act established a means of providing financial relief to state, local and tribal governments across the nation in 2020.

Minnesota was allocated $2.18 billion in federal funds through the program, from which Cook County received $730,087. This funding was to be used to support businesses, hospitals and individuals impacted by the pandemic.

The use of these funds, and of those that were distributed to all of Minnesota’s 87 counties, is now under review, according to State Auditor Julie Blaha.

“We’re right in the thick of it,” she said of the review process in mid-December.

Blaha told WTIP the audit or review of these federal dollars is routine given the sheer amount of money Minnesota and its 87 counties received through the CARES Act.

To learn more about this process, listen to the interview below with WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs speaking with Blaha about the state audit and other news from the auditor’s office.