Photo by ssteege1.

D.C. Attorney General Irv Nathan filed the first wave of lawsuits against current and former public employees accused of taking unemployment compensation they were not entitled to receive. In a press release, Nathan announced 13 lawsuits seeking to recoup amounts up to nearly $14,000.

The allegations of double dipping were first reported by the Post in February, and involve as many as 150 District workers.

In the wake of the Post’s report, the District suspended 90 current employees pending Nathan’s investigation. At a press conference to announce the suspensions, Nathan said that several of the workers suspected of taking the unlawful unemployment insurance had been bus drivers employed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, but the practice had been spotted across District agencies.

In the press release today, Nathan said his office will explore “all legal actions available” to recover the stolen money.

Here’s the full statement:

District of Columbia Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan announced today that lawsuits have been filed in D.C. Superior Court against 13 current or former D.C. employees to recover unemployment compensation allegedly obtained while the defendants were employed by the D.C. government.

The lawsuits seek to recover amounts wrongfully paid to these individuals ranging from $4,320 to $13,790. The individuals work or have worked for various agencies across the D.C. government. Some of them have been subject to disciplinary actions, including termination, where appropriate. As the city’s Department of Employment Services continues its inquiry into these cases, it will continue to refer matters to the Office of the D.C. Inspector General. That office is responsible for determining which of these cases should be referred to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for possible criminal prosecution, or to the Office of the Attorney General for civil action.

Some employees or former employees may agree to repay amounts that were collected fraudulently, avoiding the need for civil collections efforts. These employees remain subject to disciplinary measures.
“Those who have defrauded the District government must be held accountable for their actions,” noted Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “These suits are part of that process, and I want to commend the Attorney General for moving quickly and seeking repayment.”

Attorney General Nathan said, “Our office will take all legal actions available to it to recover any monies owed to the District in these inexcusable fraud cases.”