The state auditor has notified Maine Gov. Paul LePage and several lawmakers that the state Department of Health and Human Services "improperly managed" more than $13 million in federal welfare funding.

Maine State House, Augusta
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State Auditor Pola Buckley notified officials including Attorney General Janet Mills on Tuesday.

The Portland Press Herald reports the audit says the DHHS used federal funds earmarked for low-income families with children to fund contracts for the Home Based Care program, which supports seniors and disabled residents.

The report says the $13.4 million came from a federal grant, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The funds were transferred to the Social Services Block Grant program and were returned to the federal government in July.

Attempts to reach DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew and her spokeswoman were unsuccessful Tuesday.

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