Minnesota Is ‘GROUND ZERO’ for government fraud, says Rep James Comer

In this Fox News segment, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer discusses what he characterizes as massive fraud in Minnesota’s welfare programs. According to Comer, the committee is investigating alleged fraud and may subpoena Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and others to testify before a February 10 hearing.

Comer alleges that state employees have reportedly warned Minnesota’s leadership about fraud for years without action. According to the congressman, these whistleblowers finally came forward to help with the investigation after becoming frustrated with years of allegedly ignored warnings. Comer claims that if Minnesota Democrats refuse to appear voluntarily, they will face subpoenas and potential contempt charges.

Regarding the scope of the alleged fraud, Comer states that Minnesota’s social programs—including Medicaid and SNAP benefits—are allegedly “invaded with massive amounts of fraud.” He notes that 86% of the Somali population in Minnesota is on Medicaid, according to his remarks. Comer claims the Somali population in Minnesota has been “professional” in how they’ve allegedly defrauded these programs, and alleges similar fraud pockets exist in other states with Somali communities.

Comer further alleges that Attorney General Keith Ellison may have greater liability than Governor Walz due to tape recordings allegedly showing Ellison “colluding with some of the people who have been indicted in this fraud.” According to Comer, these conversations and correspondence are being gathered with help from state employees and lawmakers.

The congressman attributes the investigation’s success partly to citizen journalism, referencing a viral video that allegedly prompted cabinet-level attention. Comer states that the Oversight Committee plans to pursue fraud across multiple federal programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, tax credits, and pharmaceutical pricing. He claims Governor Walz allegedly refused to turn over SNAP beneficiary data to U.S. Department of Agriculture official Brooke Rollins, which Comer characterizes as evidence of unwillingness to address fraud.

Comer contextualizes the investigation within broader fiscal concerns, stating that the federal government allegedly spends $3 trillion more annually than it takes in. According to Comer, identifying and eliminating welfare fraud is necessary to address unsustainable spending. He expresses confidence that success will follow given multiple federal agencies now investigating in Minnesota.

According to Comer, over 90 people have been charged and some convicted in connection with the alleged fraud schemes. He argues these prosecutions were conducted without adequate public attention until social media coverage amplified awareness. The congressman calls for more “citizen journalists” to investigate government programs he believes involve taxpayer fraud, stating that traditional media allegedly focuses only on wrongdoing connected to Trump.

In Fox News’s Own Words

“Minnesota social program from Medicaid to the SNAP benefits, everything is just unbelievably invaded with massive amounts of fraud.”

“State employees have been ringing the bell for a decade about this fraud, and because the Somali population is such a massive voting block for the Democrat Party in Minnesota, they have turned a blind eye.”

“We are going to go after any type of government program where taxpayer dollars are being used in the form of grants, tax credits, people abusing Medicaid and Medicare.”