Months after intensifying into a national political flashpoint, Minnesota’s welfare fraud scandal returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, where sentiment veered from accountability and allegations of a cover-up to immigration enforcement and retaliation.
The House Oversight Committee grilled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – who dropped his gubernatorial reelection bid amid the scandal – alongside state Attorney General Keith Ellison and the Rev. Mariah Tollgaard as part of the long-anticipated sequel to a tense January hearing over purported fraud rampaging the North Star State.
Wednesday’s hearing proved markedly somber as the witnesses and Democratic committee members echoed Renee Good and Alex Pretti’s names to underscore Minnesota’s loss amid the federal probe into alleged fraud. Democrats also hit on anxieties gripping Minneapolis’ deeply rooted Somali community in the wake of the allegations.
Several Republican members seized on their time to pepper Walz and Ellison with questions on when exactly they became aware of fraud in their state and what moves they made to deter it.
The hearing grew fiery as GOP Rep. Clay Higgins banged on the table during his questioning of Walz for not halting the flow of fraudulent funds and called on Ellison to resign. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace swapped verbal jabs with Walz after the governor couldn’t answer questions over specific funding and population numbers.
“Are you the governor of Minnesota or not?” she asked him repeatedly.
Hours before the hearing began, the GOP-run committee released a report alleging Walz and Ellison knew about credible fraud concerns years ago and didn’t act on them, despite their assertions otherwise, purportedly costing taxpayers billions.
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