Walz called to TESTIFY before House on Minnesota fraud allegations

Fox News reports on the House Oversight Committee’s announcement of two hearings examining alleged fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs. According to the video, state lawmakers who allegedly raised concerns years ago will testify on January 7th, while a second hearing on February 10th could put Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison under oath.

Chairman James Comer is quoted in the broadcast as accusing both officials of “either being asleep at the wheel or complicit” in alleged schemes that drained taxpayer dollars from social services programs. Fox News reports that Walz’s office responded by stating they are “always happy to work with Congress” but criticized the committee’s “track record of holding circus hearings.” The broadcast also notes that President Trump referred to Walz as a “crooked governor.”

According to panelist Lisa Boothe, as featured in the video, Walz should be concerned about what investigators will allegedly uncover. She specifically references Attorney General Keith Ellison, who allegedly met with some of the accused fraudsters in 2021. Boothe draws broader conclusions about immigration, claiming that “other countries weren’t sending their best” and pointing to the Somali community’s alleged involvement in Minneapolis fraud cases, though she states this “isn’t an indictment of the entire Somali community.”

The video features White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who claims the Department of Justice is “continuing to execute search warrants and subpoenas” and that “people will be in handcuffs as a result of the fraud that Governor Walz has allowed to occur.” Another panelist argues that Walz is “either complacent or complicit” with “no middle ground,” citing an alleged instance where investigators found over a hundred thousand dollars in fraud in a single day.

Fox News reports discussion about the Treasury Department’s role in tracking money movements through entities like Western Union and banks. One panelist alleges that the fraud “could not have happened without a complicit money services bureau industry.” The broadcast mentions allegations of $9 billion in fraud and includes commentary from a former FBI agent who allegedly claimed that proposed Medicaid fraud prevention measures “will not make any difference moving forward.”

According to another panelist featured in the video, fraud investigations are complex and time-consuming, often taking over a year. She alleges that some former prosecutors under the Biden administration “turned a blind eye” because the investigation “did not fit the political narrative.” The broadcast also mentions Washington State’s attorney general allegedly defending against federal investigation of day care centers, with Fox News reporting that 10% of licensed child care facilities eligible for subsidies are Somali-run despite Somalis representing only 0.2% of the state’s population.

In Fox News’s Own Words

“We have surged resources across the board to the state. The Department of Justice is continuing to execute search warrants and subpoenas.”

“People will be in handcuffs as a result of the fraud that Governor Walz has allowed to occur for many years.”

“There were former prosecutors involved under the Biden administration that turned a blind eye to this.”

The allegations against Minnesota officials matter because Walz was recently the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and the alleged fraud involves billions in taxpayer dollars from federal social services programs. The hearings could determine whether state officials failed in oversight responsibilities or, as Comer alleges, were complicit in the alleged schemes.