“I get them emergency medical all the time… I just approve them for 12 months because I can. “
“Even undocumented people from Mexico and things; I can still get them benefits.”
Deshaun Eli Mack, a Family Services Specialist with the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has been caught on hidden camera admitting to intentionally violating state policies to provide government-funded benefits to undocumented immigrants.
Mack detailed how he manipulates the system to offer extended emergency Medicaid coverage to illegals, stating, “I get them emergency medical all the time… just because I want to.”
According to Mack, emergency Medicaid for undocumented immigrants is supposed to be granted on a month-to-month basis and only for severe, qualifying conditions. However, he confessed that he bypasses this process entirely. “They’re supposed to apply every month,” he said, “so I just approve them for 12 months… because I can.”
When asked if that kind of discretion was allowed, Mack responded bluntly: “I make it so. I bend the rules a lot.” He added later, “I will twist and turn our provisions to fit the way that I want them to be.”
Mack also acknowledged a culture within the agency of avoiding cooperation with federal immigration authorities, stating, “We would never call ICE. We do not work with them ever.”
When pressed on whether this behavior amounted to subverting the law, Mack didn’t hesitate: “I do that a lot.”
Mack’s conduct could potentially violate multiple Nevada laws, including statutes related to misappropriation of public funds and the Nevada False Claims Act, which prohibits knowingly approving or submitting false claims for state payment.
OMG has reached out to Mack and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services for comment on Mack’s remarks.
When contacted by OMG, Mack initially denied wrongdoing, stating, “I don’t [break the law], because I’m not.” Presented with his own recorded statements, Mack shifted his position, claiming, “I say a lot of things that I don’t mean” and eventually admitted, “I lie all the time.” He suggested he may have exaggerated to impress the undercover journalist, saying, “Absolutely,” when asked if that was the reason for his comments. Despite the specificity of his original statements, Mack ultimately claimed, “None of those words I said were true.”
More revelations to come. Stay tuned for part 2.
