(TNND) — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is under growing criticism after a viral online video raised questions about taxpayer dollars going to a Minneapolis daycare center that appeared inactive despite receiving substantial public funding.
The video, released by independent journalist Nick Shirley, shows him visiting the Quality Learning Center in South Minneapolis. Shirley notes that the facility, which is licensed for 99 children and has received roughly $4 million in state funding, displayed a sign that misspelled “learning” as “learing.”
When he approached the building on a weekday, there were no children visible, the office appeared closed, and a woman at the site loudly protested, incorrectly accusing him of being with immigration enforcement.
The footage quickly spread across social media and drew national attention amid a wider scandal involving alleged fraud in Minnesota’s social service programs, which federal officials say may have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
Critics argue that problems ranging from daycare funding to other public assistance programs have gone unchecked by state leadership.
Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators have seized on the video to call for accountability from Walz.
Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer shared the footage on social media, questioning how millions in taxpayer funds could go to a center that appears empty and misspelled its own name.
Other critics, including Rep. Mike Lawler and political figures such as Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, have used the controversy to press for investigations and even hearings in Congress.
Some analysts and officials have also linked the daycare funding concerns to broader debates over immigration and fraud, noting that many of the entities involved are connected to immigrant communities. However, there is no indication that the Quality Learning Center itself has been charged with wrongdoing.
The Walz administration has defended its record, and state officials say investigations into fraud continue, though they dispute the scale suggested by critics. They emphasize that evidence of fraud must be verified and that reforms are underway to improve oversight of social service programs.
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