In November, the country got its first taste of the fraud that was taking place in Minnesota, but at the time, it seemed limited to a COVID fund abuse.
Several weeks later, a second report was published in The New York Times, exposing that the fraud was deeply embedded in social services programs in the state.
Since then, Gov. Tim Walz announced that he is suspending his re-election campaign, and now he is under investigation by the House Oversight Committee.
In mid-December, the Times did a follow-up piece regarding the fraud in Minnesota.
Joseph H. Thompson, the federal prosecutor overseeing the investigation, stated, “What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes.
He continued, “It is staggering industrial-scale fraud.”
This was not limited to a few nefarious actors but was deeply embedded in the Somali community in that State (nearly all the cases involved Somalis).
With all the attention this is getting, Walz decided the best course of action was to drop out of the race.
He stated, “I can’t give a political campaign my all. Every minute I spend defending my own political interest, I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota — against the criminals who prey on our generosity.”
Before he made his announcement, he reportedly met with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), which led to reports she would likely run for governor.
Klobuchar’s last election was in 2024, so she would still have half her term left if she were to win the governor’s race. That means she would have to schedule a special election to fill her seat (she could also make a temporary appointment until that special election is held).
Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-KY) called on Walz to testify before his committee regarding the fraud investigations in Minnesota, warning the governor that if he does not show, it would be considered an “admission of guilt.”
The committee chair then added, "We've asked not only Gov. Walz, but also Attorney General Ellison, both of whom were in Congress, who I served with in Congress, so they know the rules of Congress. They know how serious this is. This has gotten the attention of the national public… so they will have to show up and defend themselves."
Walz has tried to defend himself based on the volume of cases that are being prosecuted, and it is substantial, but there is still the question about how this went on, and is likely still going on, during his watch.
All I can honestly think about right now is the bullet we dodged by not electing Harris and Walz in 2024, as I cannot imagine how much worse this would be if Walz were our vice president.
