Walz and Ellison to testify before House Oversight as new report claims they knew of fraud

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Months after turning into a national flashpoint, Minnesota’s welfare fraud scandal is returning to Washington.

The House Oversight Committee will hear testimony from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, marking their first official appearances since the federal probe into the fraud scandal began.

This is the second hearing about the reported fraud, with the January hearing being lengthy and bitter, and Minnesota state lawmakers accusing Gov. Tim Walz of allowing a culture of fraud to spread for political gain.

House Republicans launched an investigation into Walz’s handling of the fraud claims in December, alleging that, under his watch, he allowed efforts to cover it up and retaliate against whistleblowers. Walz has claimed the hearings and broader federal actions against the state are a political stunt to silence critics of the administration.

Federal prosecutors have said many social service programs in Minnesota are riddled with fraud, including child nutrition, autism services, day care, and housing stabilization programs. Ninety-two people have been hit with federal charges so far, 62 of whom have been convicted.

One prosecutor has alleged that half or more of the $18 billion in federal funds for 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 could have been stolen. Most of the defendants in the case are Somali Americans.

The Oversight Committee released a new report hours before Wednesday’s hearing, alleging that Walz and Ellison knew about the fraud years ago and did not act on it, reportedly costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

“As a result, potentially billions of American taxpayer dollars were allowed to flow to fraudulent actors, while vulnerable populations were harmed and whistleblowers were ignored, sidelined, and retaliated against,” the 54-page report said.

Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer said the hearing was part of Congress’s responsibility “to conduct rigorous oversight of this heist and enact stronger safeguards.”

“We look forward to questioning Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison under oath to ensure transparency and accountability for the American people and to consider meaningful reforms that prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer funds.”

Both Walz and Ellison have denied any wrongdoing while in office.