State Rep. Greg Davids has asked Attorney General Lori Swanson to review details of a 2011 contract between MNsure and Dr. Jonathan Gruber, a consultant whose work related to the federal Affordable Care Act has become the subject of controversy.
"In light of troubling remarks by Dr. Gruber and MNsure, I believe that a review of Dr. Gruber's work, and payments made to him, is necessary," Davids, R-Preston, wrote Monday in a letter to Swanson. Davids is a veteran lawmaker and in January is set to resume chairmanship of the powerful House Taxes Committee.
Gruber, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology health economist, worked with Minnesota officials in 2011 and 2012 in assessing options for the venture, then in planning stages, that later became MNsure. He earned $340,000 from the contract.
Gruber also advised President Obama during development of the Affordable Care Act. He came under new fire earlier this month when comments he made at a 2013 conference resurfaced, in which he suggested that "the stupidity of the American voter" made it possible for Congress to approve the law. He has since apologized for what he called an off-the-cuff remark.
Davids suggested Swanson should look further into why Gruber's report to the state of Minnesota was delivered later than initially promised. Some of Gruber's enrollment projections for MNsure have since fallen short, and Davids said he also wants to know whether MNsure still considers Gruber's enrollment predictions for future years valid.
A spokesman for Swanson had no immediate comment on David's letter.
(This post has been updated.)
