Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz might be fleeing from the governor’s mansion amid the Somali fraud scandal, but he won’t escape accountability, according to Republican Rep. James Comer (KY-1).
The lawmaker, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, released a statement after Walz announced that he will not seek re-election. Comer noted that “Massive fraud of taxpayer dollars occurred on Tim Walz’s watch” and said he is “either complicit in this theft or grossly incompetent in preventing it.”
Though Tim Walz is not running for governor again, he cannot run from accountability. The House Oversight Committee demands that he appear for a public hearing on February 10 to expose this fraud and begin the process of accountability. The American people deserve answers, and they deserve them now.
‼️ Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz officially announces he won’t run for reelection in 2026 after a massive fraud scandal
— Digital Gal (@DigitalGalX) January 5, 2026
💥 💥 pic.twitter.com/YEpyCkxlom
Walz on Monday announced that he plans to step down after his term is concluded. In a statement, the governor said that he “came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all” and that “every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences.”
Last month, it was revealed that fraudsters had conned the federal government out of nearly $9 billion. Much of the fraud centered on daycare centers and nonprofit organizations who falsely claimed they were feeding and/or taking care of children so they could receive federal funds.
Instead, they used the money for personal luxury expenses, including cars, travel, and other perks. In some cases, they sent taxpayer funds to a vicious terrorist group in Somalia.
Yet, Walz blames the furor over the matter on Republicans. “I won’t mince words here,” he wrote in his statement. “Donald Trump and his allies — in Washington, in St. Paul, and online — want to make our state a colder, meaner place.”
Regardless of his excuses, it is clear why Walz isn’t running for re-election. He knows this fraud scandal — and any other information that is revealed — will probably tank his chances of winning.
If you want to understand how bad the fraud was in Minnesota, here is a picture of Tim Walz giving an award to one of the convicted Feeding Our Future fraudsters for her fraudulent businesses. pic.twitter.com/J3BSGKDWVe
— AG (@AGHamilton29) January 5, 2026
As for Comer’s statement, it would be nice to see Walz face some accountability for his incompetence or complicity. In a way, his recognition that voters won’t support him says something. But we’ve seen this movie before, haven’t we?
Walz won’t be governor anymore — and that’s about all the accountability he will face. Even if he is dragged before Congress, it is doubtful that anything meaningful will happen to him.