Peoria Standard

Darin LaHood, representative for Illinois' 16th Congressional District, expressed his approval of the House's passage of the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act. He said that the act would "ensure that fraudsters who stole hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars from pandemic era unemployment insurance" will face accountability. LaHood made this statement in a Facebook post on March 12.

"I applaud the House passage of the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act," said LaHood, U.S. Representative, according to Facebook. "This legislation will ensure that fraudsters who stole hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars from pandemic era unemployment insurance are held accountable."

According to the bill, the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act extends the statute of limitations for federal criminal charges or civil enforcement actions related to fraud in COVID-19 unemployment insurance programs. The extension applies to several programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation. Additionally, it rescinds unobligated funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, redirecting them to the Department of Labor for anti-fraud activities.

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood's March 12 Facebook post | U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood Facebook page

In a February 6 hearing before the Work and Welfare Subcommittee, witnesses testified in favor of extending the statute of limitations to prosecute those who committed fraud by stealing billions in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. Without this extension, they noted that the statute would expire on March 27, hindering federal efforts to recover stolen benefits. During this hearing, LaHood urged colleagues to act swiftly as criminal liability cannot be applied retroactively. He cited estimates from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicating that $100-$135 billion was lost to fraud, with only $5 billion recovered. According to a press release from his office, LaHood noted that the bill passed the House with a vote of 295-127.

LaHood has represented Illinois since 2015, initially serving in the 18th Congressional District until redistricting placed him in charge of constituents from the 16th District. His political career includes four years in the state senate and over nine years as a state and federal prosecutor. He also worked as an Assistant US Attorney for the Department of Justice in Las Vegas.

LaHood holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois-Chicago John Marshall Law School. He resides with his wife in Peoria.