A major congressional investigation launched Monday into Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) handling of what officials describe as a “massive fraud” operation that siphoned more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds through a pandemic-era children’s food program.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced his panel would conduct a comprehensive investigation into the governor’s actions.
He stated that Walz received warnings about the fraud but failed to take appropriate action.
Comer revealed that whistleblowers who attempted to raise concerns about the fraudulent activity faced retaliation rather than support.
The chairman emphasized that criminals, including individuals connected to Somali terrorist organizations, exploited the program while children went without assistance.
The House Oversight Committee possesses significant investigative authority, including the power to issue subpoenas and refer potential criminal cases to the Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors have already secured convictions against 59 individuals involved in the scheme.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Monday on social media that he had directed investigators to examine the matter.
Bessent specifically questioned how mismanagement under the previous administration and Gov. Walz allowed taxpayer money to potentially reach Al-Shabaab terrorists.
The full scope of the $1 billion fraud connected to a COVID-era food relief program represents new information, as does the allegation that funds may have been diverted to the Somali terrorist organization.
House Republicans have been investigating Walz and Minnesota’s assistance programs for several months.
Last year, Republicans on the House Education and Workforce Committee issued a subpoena to Walz for records; however, the extent of information provided by his office remains unclear.
The congressional probe follows the prosecution of 78 individuals, many of Somali origin, who allegedly defrauded Minnesota taxpayers through what federal authorities have labeled the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.
Federal prosecutors have described their actions using strong language, calling the operation depraved and brazen.
According to prosecutors, the scheme involved channeling money from state social services accounts through the Department of Human Services and Department of Education to the nonprofit Feeding Our Future and related organizations.
The stated purpose was providing meals to schoolchildren between April 2020 and January 2022.
Instead of feeding children, the funds allegedly financed extravagant lifestyles for nonprofit workers.
Prosecutors say the money purchased luxury vehicles and real estate properties in locations as distant as Turkey and Kenya.
The FBI conducted raids on the fraudulent nonprofit in January 2022, leading to its eventual dissolution.
Many reimbursement requests from these organizations passed through state departments before reaching federal agencies like the USDA.
Resist the Mainstream previously reported that a social media account claiming to represent 500 Minnesota Department of Human Services employees criticized Walz over the weekend for bearing full responsibility for the fraud.
The whistleblower account posted that employees alerted Walz to the fraud early, hoping for cooperation in stopping it.
Instead, they claimed the governor’s administration responded with systematic retaliation against whistleblowers through monitoring, threats, and attempts to discredit fraud reports.
The account was reportedly suspended Monday, said the New York Post.
