>> ERIC: EARLIER TODAY, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL KEITH ELLISON ANNOUNCED CHARGES IN A $2.6 MILLION MEDICAID FRAUD SCHEME IN THE FARIBAULT AREA.

THE CHARGES OUTLINE 67 FELONIES INCLUDING RACKETEERING, FELONY THEFT, AND IDENTITY THEFT.

ATTORNEY GENERAL KEITH ELLISON'S NAME HAS ALSO BEEN LINKED TO A CASE HIS OFFICE ISN'T WORKING ON.

HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MARY MORIARTY IS UNDER FIRE FOR HER OFFICE'S HANDLING OF THE PROSECUTION OF STATE TROOPER RYAN LONDREGAN FOR MURDER.

HER CRITICS CONTINUE TO CALL FOR GOVERNOR WALZ TO ASSIGN THE CASE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.

GENERAL, WELCOME BACK.

I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE THAT POSITION MAKING AUTHORITY, BUT WHAT KIND OF THINGS ARE SWIRLING AROUND THAT, THAT MIGHT GET YOU INVOLVED?

>> WELL, WE'RE READY TO DO OUR JOB.

WE'VE HANDLED THESE KIND OF CASES IN THE PAST.

IT'S NOT NEW TO US.

WE'VE CHARGED SOME.

WE'VE DECLINED MANY.

BUT WE DO HAVE ONE SPECIAL PROBLEM IN THIS CASE AND THAT IS BY STATUTE, WE EPRESENT EVERY STATE AGENCY INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THE TROOPERS.

SO THAT CREATES A CONFLICT.

AND WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THAT.

BUT LOOK, WE'RE READY TO HELP.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT -- I'M TRYING TO BUILD AN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF MINNESOTA.

AND WE DO THESE CASES AND WE BUILT SOME SUMMER TEES.

>> Mary: PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT ON GOING WITH OUTSIDE COUNSEL.

IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE DONE AND SHE IS DOING IN THIS CASE.

WHY IS IT A GOOD IDEA OR NOT?

>> WELL, IF YOU HAVE DEFICITS IN TERMS OF EXPERTISE, YOU KNOW, IN OUR CASE, WHEN WE STARTED DOING THESE SORT OF CASES, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY WHO ACTUALLY PROSECUTED A POLICE OFFICER BEFORE.

WE HAD A LOT OF PROSECUTORS, BUT THAT WAS NEW FOR US.

ALSO, THE MEDICAL CASE, I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO PRESENT A CHALLENGE.

SO WE NEEDED PEOPLE WHO REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE MECHANISM OF BREATHING.

SO WE HAD TO GET LAWYERS WHO HELPED US FIND EXPERTS TO HELP EXPLAIN THAT.

SO THOSE ARE REASONS WHY TO GET THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE SITUATION HERE.

BECAUSE I KNOW -- YOU GOT OUTSTANDING PROSECUTORS IN HENNEPIN COUNTY.

BUT -- SO -- >> Eric: HOW PREVALENT IS MEDICAID FRAUD IN THE STATE?

>> IT'S PREVALENT EVERYWHERE.

HERE'S HOW PREVALENT IT IS.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HELPS SUPPORT EVERY SINGLE STATE A.G. TO PROSECUTE MEDICAID FRAUD.

AND SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM.

MEDICAID IS CRITICAL.

PEOPLE NEED IT.

AND THEREFORE IT'S GOT TO HAVE INTEGRITY.

NOT JUST TO ROTECT THE PUBLIC DOLLAR.

BUT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION.

BECAUSE ONCE PEOPLE THINK, OH THAT'S A FRAUD RIDDEN PROGRAM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT.

SO, YEAH, WE -- SADLY, WE HAVE TO PROSECUTE HESE CASES ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WE'RE STATUTORILY ALLOWED TO CHARGE THEM WITHOUT GOING TO THE GOVERNOR OR O THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY CATEGORY OF CASE WE JUST HAVE FREE REIN ON.

>> Mary: O WE STILL NEED BETTER OVERSIGHT OF PROGRAMS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL?

IS THIS STILL AN ISSUE?

>> YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO STOP PEOPLE COMMITTED FRAUD.

BUT YOU CAN MINIMIZE IT.

>> Mary: HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

>> YOU PUT MORE RED TAPE IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.

THAT KIND OF WEEDS SOME FOLKS OUT.

AND YOU GET MORE RESOURCES.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO PROSECUTE PEOPLE WHO VIOLATE THE LAW BECAUSE ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT PEOPLE ARE CLEVER ABOUT STEALING MONEY.

WE HAVE -- I MEAN, A LOT OF OUR CIVIL WORK IS ALL ABOUT STOPPING SCAMMERS AND I'M ALWAYS MYSTIFIED AND HOW CLEVER THEY CAN BE.

SO YOU GOT TO PREVENT AND THEN YOU GOT TO ENFORCE AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

>> Eric: YOU AND A DOZEN I THINK ATTORNEYS GENERAL AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE SIGNED UP FOR A LAWSUIT AGAINST GLOBING, IT IS IT?

>> WE HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE LAWSUIT YET BUT WE ARE LOOKING INTO IT.

WE'RE VERY CONCERNED.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE ISSUE THERE?

>> WELL, THE ISSUE THERE, IS WE BELIEVE, THERE'S EVIDENCE TO SHOW, THAT THEIR PRODUCT IS PARTICULARLY AMENABLE TO PUTTING IN THESE SWITCHES WHICH WILL ALLOW THE DISCHARGE OF, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HUNDRED BULLETS A NEW SECONDS.

SO, YOU KNOW, A SEMIAUTOMATIC GUN, IT FIRES.

YOU PUT THESE SWITCHES IN THERE, YOU SQUEEZE IT, IT SHOOTS UNTIL -- AND YOU PUT AN EXPENDED CLIP ON, PEOPLE, 0 SHOTS, 90 SHOTS ALL AT ONCE AND THESE GUNS ARE VERY HARD TO HANDLE.

SO IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SHOOT AT ONE PERSON, OU MAY MISS THEM AND YOU MIGHT HIT OTHER.

AS YOU KNOW, THIS TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED TO MARKESHA WILY A FEW BLOCKS FROM HERE WAS -- INVOLVED, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THESE SWITCHES.

AND THAT'S WHY 14 SHOTS WERE LET OFF AND ONE OF THEM KILLED HER.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION.

THE SENATE JUST WENT THROUGH 100 AMENDMENTS TODAY.

BUT EXPUNGEMENT IS SOMETHING YOU WILL BE WORKING ON.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT PROCESS?

>> SO I'M SO >> SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE DOES FREE EXPUNGEMENTS.

HENNEPIN COUNTY HAS A PROPOSAL AND RAMSEY COUNTY HAS A PROGRAM.

>> Mary: DO PEOPLE HAVE O REACH OUT?

>> PEOPLE DO HAVE TO REACH OUT.

BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE TO DO -- >> Mary: ARE YOU HEARING FROM PEOPLE?

>> OH, MY GOODNESS, WE'RE HEARING ALL THE TIME.

WE HAVE A WHOLE UNIT THAT DOES THESE EXPIEWMENTS.

WE HAVE A GREAT LAWYER AMED ALUCIE, AND SHE HAS A WHOLE GROUP OF STUDENTS AT MITCHELL-HAMLINE THAT HELP HER OUT.

ACTUALLY, MAR EANCHES IT'S A JOBS PROGRAM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE CASES ARE OLD.

YET THOSE RECORDS BAR PEOPLE FROM JOBS AND APARTMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> Mary: AND DISPROPORTIONATELY PEOPLE OF COLOR, ARE YOU SEEING THAT PLAY OUT?

>> THE ANSWER'S CLEARLY YES.

BUT HERE'S THE OTHER THING ABOUT THAT, A LOT LOT OF WHITE PEOPLE TOO.

IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY.

THAT'S WHY I DON'T ALWAYS EMPHASIZE THE DISPROPORTIONATE NATURE ALTHOUGH IT IS.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOUR COMING DOW