Rep. Jones Looks into Tsarnaev Welfare Benefits

House Minority Leader Brad Jones, Jr. released the following statement in response to a Herald story that suspected deceased marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his family got public assistance benefits from the state: 

“I have been in contact with officials at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a result of the recent Boston Herald article in which it was reported that Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his family received public assistance benefits from Massachusetts.

In my conversation with representatives at HHS I asked that they please look into the type of benefits received by Mr. Tsarnaev and his family, as well as the amount of benefits received by those individuals. Furthermore, I requested that the Department of Transitional Assistance verify that all family members met eligibility requirements when applying for public benefits.

The findings of the investigation are vitally important in assuring that taxpayer subsidized benefits are being acquired and used in an appropriate manner.”