Minnesota Republicans Move to Impeach Walz, AG Ellison

Republican lawmakers in Minnesota are moving forward with impeachment efforts against Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, accusing the two top Democratic officials of misconduct tied to major fraud scandals and controversial law enforcement positions.

GOP legislators introduced two separate measures this week: House Resolution 6 targeting Walz and House Resolution 7 aimed at Ellison. Both resolutions were formally read on the chamber floor and accuse the officials of serious wrongdoing.

The resolution seeking Walz’s impeachment alleges the governor engaged in “corrupt conduct” and failed to uphold his constitutional duty to faithfully enforce Minnesota law. Republican lawmakers argue that Walz mismanaged a series of massive fraud cases that have rocked the state in recent years.

According to the resolution, Walz violated his oath of office “to faithfully execute the laws of this state,” citing multiple investigative reports detailing how millions of taxpayer dollars were stolen through government programs while oversight agencies failed to act.

Allegations Against Ellison

The separate impeachment resolution against Ellison accuses the attorney general of “crimes and misdemeanors,” focusing in part on his response to immigration enforcement controversies and protest activity.

Republicans cited Ellison’s defense of anti-ICE activists who disrupted a church service in St. Paul. Ellison had argued that the federal FACE Act did not apply to the protesters in that instance.

Lawmakers also pointed to a meeting Ellison attended with individuals who were later charged in the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, a scandal that exposed widespread abuse within federal child nutrition programs administered in Minnesota.

Difficult Political Path

Despite the dramatic accusations, the impeachment effort faces steep political hurdles.

Under Minnesota law, impeachment requires a majority vote in the state House before moving to the Senate for trial. Removal from office would then require a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

The Minnesota House is currently deadlocked at 67–67 between Democrats and Republicans, meaning the GOP would need unanimous support within its own caucus plus at least one Democrat crossing party lines just to move the articles forward.

Even if the House were to approve impeachment, the odds of conviction in the Senate appear slim, where Democrats maintain a narrow majority and would need to supply numerous votes to reach the two-thirds threshold.

Republicans previously attempted to pursue impeachment against Walz in 2021 over his use of emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that effort stalled while Democrats controlled the legislature.

Federal Oversight Intensifies

The renewed push comes as federal lawmakers continue scrutinizing the state’s handling of massive fraud schemes tied to federal programs.

During a recent hearing, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer sharply criticized Walz’s leadership and suggested state officials ignored early warnings about widespread abuse.

“While Governor Walz hesitated, taxpayers lost billions. Attorney General Ellison has likewise claimed his office was aggressively holding fraudsters accountable, but when his statements were tested against the record, they fell apart,” Comer said to open the hearing.

Comer added that investigators have spoken with numerous whistleblowers who claim their warnings were ignored.

“We have spoken with over thirty whistleblowers, many of them current employees and Democrats, who say they were ignored, retaliated against, and even surveilled for raising concerns,” Comer plans to state. “Instead of protecting the whistleblowers, the Walz administration protected the system that enabled fraud.”

The hearing followed the release of a 53-page congressional report asserting that Walz and Ellison were aware of significant fraud risks in Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program and several high-risk Medicaid programs as early as 2019.

As scrutiny intensifies, Republicans say the impeachment effort is about restoring accountability for Minnesota taxpayers who were left footing the bill for widespread government program abuse.