State Senator Erica Harriss has released the below statement following the release of a recent audit of the Illinois Department of Employment Security in which an estimated $5.24 billion was made in unemployment overpayments:
“Since taking office, I have been a strong advocate for the taxpayer and the recent audit findings of IDES are extremely alarming and frightening for our state’s residents. Fraudulent claims were made, fraudsters were paid, and now taxpayers are on the hook for this unemployment disaster. Our residents deserve better.”