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Gov. Walz, Minnesota AG Will Give Sworn Testimony About Fraud to Oversight Committee
Congressmen will question both leaders in a public session focusing on ‘rampant misuse of taxpayer dollars,’ the committee says, estimated at $9 billion.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a press conference at the state capitol building in St. Paul, Minn., on Jan. 5, 2026. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Two top Minnesota officials have confirmed they will testify publicly about their state’s alleged fraud scandals next month, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced Jan. 30.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison will give statements under oath at the committee’s hearing entitled, “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II.”
The hearing, to be held in the U.S. House of Representatives, is set for 10 a.m. ET March 4—about a month later than the Feb. 10 date originally set.
“Americans deserve answers about the rampant misuse of taxpayer dollars in Minnesota’s social services programs that occurred on Governor Walz’s and Attorney General Ellison’s watch,” Comer said in his announcement.
Walz, Ellison, and House Oversight Democrats issued no immediate response. The Epoch Times has sought comment from Walz and Ellison but received no reply prior to publication.
Comer noted the committee heard sworn testimony from a trio of Minnesota lawmakers who alleged that both Walz and Ellison “failed to act to stop this widespread fraud and retaliated against whistleblowers who raised concerns.”
A hearing entitled, “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I,” featured testimony from Minnesota Reps. Kristin Robbins, Walter Hudson, and Marion Rarick. All three are Republicans who serve on a bipartisan state-level fraud-prevention committee, which Robbins chairs.
Comer said the committee wants to “ensure transparency and accountability for the American people, and to advance solutions to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and impose stronger penalties on those who defraud taxpayers.”
The confirmed appearances for both Minnesota Democratic leaders come about a month after Comer’s committee launched an investigation into money laundering and fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Speaks with The Epoch Times’ Jan Jekielek at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024, in a still from video. NTD
Walz has defended his administration’s record on addressing fraud in the state.
“We’ve spent years cracking down on fraudsters. It’s a serious issue,” he wrote in a December post on X. “[Trump] is politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans.”
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota has been indicting suspects since 2022 in a series of separate scandals.
“Criminals in Minnesota have stolen an estimated $9 billion in taxpayer funds intended to feed children, support autistic children, house low-income and disabled Americans, and provide healthcare to vulnerable Medicaid recipients,” Comer wrote.
Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) presides over a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 5, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
Comer had already called on Walz and Ellison to provide documents, communications, and records about the fraud. He also requested the Treasury Department provide relevant Suspicious Activity Reports. The investigation also includes interviews with current and former Minnesota state officials; those have been scheduled for February, Comer said, without revealing the witnesses’ names.
On Jan. 6, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor released a report finding the state Department of Human Services’ Behavioral Health Administration failed to comply with most requirements and lacked adequate internal controls over grant funds to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
The report highlighted a grantee who received nearly $680,000 from the Behavioral Health Administration for just one month of work but was unable to provide any documentation or proof that the work was completed. The grant manager who approved the payment then left the agency only days later to take a job with the grant recipient, according to a Jan. 7 post on X by the Oversight Committee.
Janice Hisle mainly writes in-depth reports based on U.S. political news and cultural trends, following a two-year stint covering President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection campaign. Before joining The Epoch Times in 2022, she worked more than two decades as a reporter for newspapers in Ohio and authored several books. She is a graduate of Kent State University's journalism program. You can reach Janice at: [email protected]
