House Oversight Committee Moves to Investigate Minnesota Fraud, Summons Gov. Tim Walz for Answers

Pressure is rapidly mounting on Minnesota’s Democratic leadership as federal lawmakers step in to scrutinize an expanding fraud scandal tied to the state’s social services programs.

On the same day reports emerged that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is facing a formal criminal complaint related to his alleged role in the controversy, the U.S. House Oversight Committee announced it will launch a high-profile hearing to investigate how the situation spiraled under his administration.

In a sharply worded statement released Wednesday, the committee revealed plans for a hearing titled “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I.” Both Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have been invited to testify and account for what Republicans describe as systemic failures that allowed massive abuse of taxpayer funds.

Committee Chairman James Comer did not mince words.

“Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have either been asleep at the wheel or complicit in a massive fraud involving taxpayer dollars in Minnesota’s social services programs,” committee chairman James Comey said in a statement. “American taxpayers demand and deserve accountability for the theft of their hard-earned money.

“The U.S. Department of Justice is actively investigating, prosecuting, and charging fraudsters who have stolen billions from taxpayers, and Congress has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight of this heist and enact stronger safeguards to prevent fraud in taxpayer-funded programs, as well as strong sanctions to hold offenders accountable.”

The chairman emphasized that the investigation will not be limited to a single hearing.

“In addition to conducting transcribed interviews with Minnesota state officials, the House Oversight Committee will hold hearings on fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs to expose failures, identify solutions, and deliver accountability.

“Next week, we will hear from Minnesota state lawmakers who sounded the alarm on this fraud — and whose warnings were ignored by the Walz administration. This misconduct cannot be swept aside, and Congress will not stop until taxpayers get the answers and accountability they deserve.”

The committee underscored its intent in a blunt post on X, making clear that Walz himself is now squarely in the crosshairs:

“We’re bringing in Tim Walz to answer for the massive fraud in Minnesota,” the group claimed.

Comer echoed that message personally on social media, reinforcing that congressional oversight will continue until the public receives full transparency:

“This misconduct and fraud under Governor Walz’s watch cannot be swept aside, and Congress will not stop until taxpayers get the answers,” Comey reiterated.

Walz, for his part, attempted to get ahead of the announcement a day earlier with a public defense of his administration’s record:

“We’ve spent years cracking down on fraud – referring cases to law enforcement, shutting down and auditing high-risk programs,” Walz claimed a day before Comey’s announcement.

In a move that raised eyebrows among critics, Walz went further and shifted blame toward President Donald Trump.

“Trump keeps letting fraudsters out of prison,” Walz claimed, though it remains unclear what specific actions he was referencing.

President Trump has repeatedly warned about widespread abuse of public programs and has been outspoken about Minnesota’s large Somali population, a group that investigators say has been disproportionately connected to the state’s fraud cases. Earlier this year, Trump took decisive action by adding Somalia—along with several other nations—to an expanded travel ban list.

The first Oversight Committee hearing is scheduled for January 7, with testimony expected from Minnesota GOP state lawmakers Kristin Robbins, Walter Hudson, and Marion Rarick.

The proceedings will be live-streamed for the public.