More Time Needed to Prosecute Pandemic Unemployment Fraud, Government Watchdogs Tell Congress

Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz addresses a Congressional panel in February 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Federal watchdog officials are asking Congress to extend the statute of limitations to prosecute COVID-19 pandemic-era unemployment fraud cases.

During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday, Department of Labor Inspector  General (DOL) Larry Turner testified (pdf) that he expects his department to be busy investigating pandemic-related fraud through at least September 2026 “when the statute of limitations for most pandemic-related violations will have expired.”