Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) actions during the COVID-19 pandemic continue to come back to haunt him. His administration looks to have been involved in "largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the nation," and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce is demanding answers, having now been forced to turn to subpoenas to get them.
On Wednesday, Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) announced she was subpoenaing the administration. Walz as well as Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett received subpoenas and cover letters. The Biden-Harris administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Office of Inspector General (OIG) also received their own subpoenas.
🚨 Tim Walz's admin. subpoenaed by @virginiafoxx related to the "largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the nation."
— House Committee on Education & the Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) September 4, 2024
How much did the governor know about the criminal activity that stole $250 million in taxpayer funds intended to feed children in need?
More⬇️https://t.co/rTJ9NbwKd8 pic.twitter.com/Ebrpe4dZMV
As Foxx explained in her announcement, 70 individuals associated with Feeding Our Future (FOF), which is based in Minnesota, were charged in 2022 by a U.S. attorney "for their alleged roles in defrauding the USDA of over $250 million in taxpayer funds—money intended to feed hungry children."
Five individuals have since been convicted of fraud that was described as "not just criminal, [but] depraved and brazen."
As others await their trial, Foxx noted that "questions remain regarding the role of the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) administration of the Federal Child Nutrition Programs and its oversight of FOF."
Walz "failed to respond to previous attempts by the Committee to garner information necessary to uncover how the Governor and the USDA allowed such fraud to occur," thus forcing Foxx and her Committee to move forward with subpoenas.
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In her cover letter to the governor, Foxx further pointed to Walz's role.
"As the chief executive and the highest ranking official in the state of Minnesota, you are responsible for the MDE and its administration of FCNPs. Article V Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Minnesota which lays out the powers and duties of the governor, states in part that the governor 'may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive departments upon any subject relating to his duties,' and 'he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed,'" the letter reminded early on.
The letter also detailed how the governor and his representatives addressed the fraud, and how the Committee had previously tried to get in touch with the MDE on multiple occasions:
On November 14, 2023, and June 14, 2024, letters were sent to MDE requesting information regarding its handling of the FCNP and the FOF fraud. The documents we have received to date indicate the actions taken by you and other executive officers were insufficient to address the massive fraud.
Statements in the press by you and your representatives indicate that you and other executive officers were involved, or had knowledge of, MDE’s administration of the FCNP and responsibilities and actions regarding the massive fraud. When you were asked about your decision of not holding agencies accountable and if MDE employees would be disciplined, you replied, “This wasn’t malfeasance.” You also stated, “There’s not a single state employee that was implicated in doing anything that was illegal. They simply didn’t do as much due diligence as they should’ve.” According to press reports, however, one of your spokespersons said your administration “has already made many of the corrective actions suggested by the OLA [Office of the Legislative Auditor] and taken ‘strong steps to find and eliminate any remaining vulnerabilities in government programs.’”
The Committee has been unable to obtain substantive responsive materials in the many voluntary requests made in this matter.
Foxx's announcement also shared other details about the charges and previous attempts to get in touch with the Walz administration:
FOF was a nonprofit organization approved by MDE to be a sponsor of federal meals programs. Criminal charges allege that individuals, including FOF's leader, conspired to fraudulently claim $250 million in federal meals funds that were allegedly spent instead on luxury vehicles, real estate, and other unlawful purchases.
In June, Chairwoman Foxx, joined by Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture Subcommittee Chairman Brad Finstad (R-MN), Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), sent a letter to Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett requesting details on the Department’s role in the situation.
The cover letters note that Walz and Jett are compelled to produce "the documents and communications delineated in the attached schedule no later than 12:00 p.m. on September 18, 2024."
When it comes to Walz's handling of the pandemic, fraud isn't the only concern. He had a tipline in place, encouraging neighbors to snitch on one another and local businesses. That is not only problematic, but hypocritical when he has continuously claimed on the campaign trail as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate that the golden rule in Minnesota supposedly involves how they "respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make."
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