Minnesota’s governor and attorney general are scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers investigate widespread fraud involving federal social program funds in the state.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison are scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee during a hearing examining alleged widespread fraud involving federal welfare and social program funds in Minnesota.
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The hearing, titled “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II,” is set to begin at 9 a.m. Eastern and will allow members of Congress to question the two state officials about their roles in overseeing programs that federal investigators say were exploited for large-scale financial fraud.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky said lawmakers intend to scrutinize how billions of taxpayer dollars were allegedly diverted from social programs while state officials failed to intervene despite warnings from government employees.
“As fraudsters looted billions of taxpayer dollars from Minnesota’s social programs, state lawmakers recently testified that Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison ignored repeated warnings and retaliated against state employees who raised concerns,” Comer said in a statement. “The American people deserve clear answers about how such widespread fraud was allowed to flourish under their watch.”
Comer said that while federal prosecutors are pursuing criminal charges against individuals involved in the schemes, Congress also has an oversight responsibility to examine systemic failures that allowed the alleged misuse of funds.
“While the Department of Justice continues to investigate, prosecute, and charge those responsible, Congress also has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight of this heist and enact stronger safeguards to prevent fraud in taxpayer-funded social programs,” Comer said. “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.”
The controversy surrounding alleged welfare fraud in Minnesota gained national attention following an investigation by journalist Nick Shirley, whose reporting highlighted schemes involving daycare centers that allegedly diverted large amounts of federal assistance money.
Additional reports indicated that individuals connected to the schemes transported large sums of cash through Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. According to those reports, nearly $1 billion in bulk currency has been moved through the airport to Somalia since 2024.
President Donald Trump has also referenced the issue publicly, alleging that individuals connected to the Somali community in Minnesota have taken “an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer.”
“We have all the information, and in actuality, the number is much higher than that,” Trump said during his State of the Union address.
During that speech, Trump also announced that Vice President JD Vance would lead the administration’s effort to combat large-scale fraud involving federal programs, describing the initiative as a nationwide effort targeting waste and abuse.
The Minnesota controversy extends beyond daycare-related allegations. Attorney General Ellison recently appeared before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, where Missouri Senator Josh Hawley called for Ellison to face indictment over allegations that his office assisted individuals tied to the Feeding Our Future scandal.
The Feeding Our Future case involves approximately $250 million in COVID-era relief funds that federal authorities say were fraudulently obtained through a network of organizations claiming to provide meals to children. Federal prosecutors have described it as the largest COVID-related fraud scheme uncovered in the United States.
According to the Department of Justice, at least 78 individuals have been criminally charged in connection with the case. Details of those charges are outlined in a Justice Department announcement involving the 78th defendant charged in the investigation.
Lawmakers are expected to question Walz and Ellison about how the alleged fraud operations were able to continue while state agencies responsible for oversight had access to warnings and investigative findings.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Eastern, with members of the House Oversight Committee expected to question both officials under oath as the congressional investigation moves forward.