The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce has just hit Minnesota’s Governor, Tim Walz, who also happens to be the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, with a subpoena. Why? Well, it’s all about his handling (or maybe mishandling) of a pretty massive fraud case involving taxpayer dollars.
Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) sent a letter to Walz on Wednesday, giving him the heads-up that this subpoena was on its way. The Committee wants documents about how he handled what they’re calling a “massive fraud.” This scandal centers around a nonprofit program, and the story was first broken by Punchbowl News.
Here’s the deal: Axios reported that seventy people tied to a group called “Feeding Our Future” are accused of pulling off a pretty audacious scheme. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, they allegedly managed to steal a whopping $250 million from pandemic-era government programs that were supposed to feed hungry kids. Yeah, it’s pretty bad.
Back in June, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the state’s Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) had some strong words about the whole thing. Their report blasted the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for dropping the ball on oversight, saying that it left the door wide open for fraud. Even when there were red flags, they didn’t act fast enough to stop the wrongdoing.
In Minnesota, the MDE oversees the federal child nutrition programs (FCNP), which were apparently defrauded by several people connected to Feeding Our Future. The MDE gets its money for these programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And as governor, Walz is responsible for how the MDE manages these programs, according to Rep. Foxx.
Foxx had already sent two letters to the MDE asking for information about their handling of the federal child nutrition programs and the fraud within Feeding Our Future. But, according to Foxx, Minnesota hasn’t exactly been helpful. Despite multiple requests, the Committee still hasn’t received much in the way of “substantive” documents. What they have received seems to suggest that Walz and other top officials didn’t do enough to address the fraud. Hence, the subpoena.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELIn her letter, Foxx makes it clear:
“The Committee must now compel the production of responsive documents that will show the extent of the actions taken by you and your administration relating to MDE’s administration of the FCNP and the extent of your responsibilities and actions addressing the massive fraud that resulted in the abuse of taxpayer dollars intended for hungry children.”
She also pointed out that public statements made by Walz and his team suggest they were aware of what was happening within the MDE when it came to managing these programs. She even quoted Walz saying that he didn’t hold any agencies accountable because, in his words, “This wasn’t malfeasance.” He also added, “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.”
But on the flip side, one of Walz’s spokespeople said that the administration has already taken many of the corrective actions suggested by the OLA:
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.”7 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.”8 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.’”9
Walz has until noon on September 18 to hand over the requested documents.
#FraudInvestigation #GovernmentOversight #TimWalzScandal
