Democrat Gov. Tim Walz faced an intense grilling on Capitol Hill as House Republicans pressed him over Minnesota’s massive fraud scandal, focusing on a key controversy involving the state’s handling of payments to Feeding Our Future.
The confrontation unfolded during a House Oversight Committee hearing examining alleged fraud and misuse of federal funds tied to pandemic-era relief programs.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) opened the hearing by accusing Minnesota officials of overseeing a sweeping collapse in oversight.
He said whistleblowers raised concerns for years while taxpayer funds continued flowing out the door and into the pockets of Somali fraudsters.
Comer also cited estimates from federal prosecutors that up to $9 billion may have been stolen from 14 Medicaid programs in Minnesota, according to the committee’s interim findings.
He argued the situation represented “one of the most extensive breakdowns of oversight this Committee has ever examined.”
Jordan Presses Walz Over Feeding Our Future Payments
The hearing’s most intense exchange came when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) questioned Walz about the state’s decision to restart payments to Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit at the center of what federal prosecutors say became a roughly $250 million pandemic fraud scheme.
Jordan pressed Walz over why the payments resumed after concerns about fraud had already been raised, and why the governor publicly suggested the state was compelled to restart payments because of a court ruling.
That claim has previously been confirmed to be false by the judge involved in the case.
According to a public statement from Minnesota Judge John Guthmann, the court never ordered the state to restart the payments.
“Judge John Guthmann never ordered the Department of Education to resume payments to FOF in April 2021, or at any other time,” the court said.
The statement added that the state agency “voluntarily resumed making payments” and that reimbursements were issued “without any court order.”
The court further explained that the clarification was released because of what it described as “inaccurate statements by the Governor” and others regarding the situation.
Walz Points to Legal Advice
During the hearing, Walz maintained that state officials believed their actions were required based on legal advice provided by agency lawyers.
However, Republicans argued that the explanation does not address why the public was told a judge forced the payments to resume.
They said the court’s statement contradicts the governor’s earlier explanation.
The dispute has become a central political vulnerability for Walz as the Feeding Our Future investigation continues to expand.
Jordan grilled Walz over the claims and accused the Democrat governor of “lying.”
“Why didn’t you tell the truth about why you restarted the payments?” Jordan asked Walz.
Walz responded: “The agency believed the court required them to make those payments.”
Jordan fired back: “But that was false..
“The court says the judge never ordered you to resume Feeding Our Future payments…
“So the court’s lying?!”
“I can’t tell you!” Walz insisted.
“Somebody’s lying!” Jordan raged.
“Either you’re lying, or the court’s lying. Which one?!”
“I just know what the attorneys said,” Walz claimed.
Jordan replied: “Could it be you’re trying to hide behind the court?
“Is it all about politics?!”
WATCH:
Growing Scrutiny Over Minnesota Fraud
The scandal has drawn national attention after federal prosecutors alleged that pandemic food aid programs were exploited on a massive scale.
In earlier hearings, witnesses testified that warnings about potential fraud were documented and raised repeatedly before the scheme was uncovered.
This week’s hearing escalated scrutiny by putting Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison under oath as Republicans attempted to link the fraud directly to failures within state leadership.
For Walz, the controversy is not only about the fraud itself but also about how his administration explained its decisions once the scandal became public.
Republicans say the court’s statement rejecting the governor’s earlier claim that payments were ordered by a judge has become one of the most politically damaging elements of the entire episode.
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