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GOP Lawmakers Call For Dem To Resign Over Fresh Scandal

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Republican lawmakers in Minnesota are calling for Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to step down amid a massive fraud crisis that continues to spiral out of control.

Several GOP legislators issued a joint statement Monday urging Walz to resign, arguing that years of unchecked abuse of taxpayer-funded programs have eroded public trust and exposed deep failures within his administration.

“Minnesotans have been watching the fraud crisis get worse and worse for years. It has gone on long enough,” Minnesota state Sens. Bill Lieske and Nathan Wesenberg, along with state Reps. Marj Fogelman, Drew Roach and Mike Wiener, said in a press release.

The lawmakers said their call was rooted in responsibility, not political theater.

“This is not about politics or stunts, and we do not make a call like this lightly,” they wrote. “The office of the governor deserves respect, and we have tried to give Gov. Walz time to act.”

While stopping short of initiating a formal recall, the group pointed to Article 8, Section 6 of the Minnesota Constitution, which outlines serious malfeasance in the performance of official duties as grounds for removing executive officers. They argued that Walz’s handling of the scandal meets that standard.

“Leadership means doing the right thing even when it is difficult, which is why we are calling on Gov. Walz to resign,” the lawmakers continued.

According to the statement, the scale of the alleged fraud is staggering. “We are talking about billions of dollars in fraud that should have gone to vulnerable Minnesotans,” they wrote.

“The red flags were everywhere. Yet, year after year, the fraud kept growing, and year after year, nothing changed.”

Federal prosecutors disclosed earlier this month that fraud tied largely to Minnesota’s Somali community could ultimately cost taxpayers billions, a revelation that has fueled outrage and renewed questions about oversight failures under Walz’s leadership.

The renewed calls for accountability followed a video by journalist Nick Shirley that has gone viral.

The footage highlighted suspected fraudulent daycare operations and ignited fresh criticism of the governor’s handling of social services programs.

Walz’s office responded after the video gained traction, rejecting claims that the administration ignored warning signs.

“The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action,” a spokesperson commented.

“He has strengthened oversight including launching investigations into these specific facilities, one of which was already closed.”

The spokesperson also pointed to additional measures, saying Walz has “hired an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program entirely, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.”

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Republican lawmakers were unconvinced, saying frustration over the scandal dominates conversations with voters.

“The fraud scandal is the number one issue we hear from our constituents,” they went on, adding that many are asking why no senior officials have faced consequences.

“When a governor fails to do what he is required to do, when he watches a crisis spiral out of control and does nothing to stop it, that is nonfeasance.”

They said Walz had a clear duty to oversee state agencies and safeguard taxpayer-funded programs. “He failed,” they wrote. “There needs to be consequences.”

“For the good of the state, Gov. Walz should step aside. Minnesota needs accountability, a reset, and new leadership that can get us back on the right track,” the lawmakers added.

The controversy deepened just days after federal prosecutors announced they were dramatically expanding their probe into fraud across Minnesota’s social services system.

What began as an investigation into three safety net programs has now widened to include suspicious billing practices across 14 Medicaid-funded programs.

Prosecutors have said a preliminary review suggests that more than half of the $18 billion spent on those programs may have been stolen, raising alarm about systemic abuse.

Shirley’s 42-minute video triggered what officials described as a “massive” response on the ground in Minnesota.

Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were seen conducting operations in Minneapolis, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Footage shared by Noem showed federal agents questioning individuals outside a building, though details about the business involved were unclear. Separate video released by ICE depicted investigators going door-to-door at multiple locations.

“The American people deserve answers on how their taxpayer money is being used and ARRESTS when abuse is found,” the agency said in a post on X. “Under the leadership of @Sec_Noem, DHS is working to deliver results.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department’s investigation has been underway for months and warned that more charges are on the way.

“@TheJusticeDept has been investigating this for months,” Bondi wrote. “So far, we have charged 98 individuals – 85 of Somali descent – and more than 60 have been found guilty in court. We have more prosecutions coming…BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!”

FBI Director Kash Patel said over the weekend that the bureau has surged personnel and resources to Minnesota in an effort to dismantle what he described as large-scale fraud networks exploiting federal programs.

The fallout has reached Washington, where Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced that her agency is halting annual grants to Minnesota while investigators review suspected abuse of pandemic-era aid.

Loeffler said the SBA is pausing yearly funding to the state “while we investigate $430 million in suspected [Paycheck Protection Program] fraud across the state.”

Minnesota officials pushed back Monday, disputing claims that a daycare facility highlighted in Shirley’s video was improperly receiving taxpayer funds.

At a news conference, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said prior inspections did not uncover fraud and that regulators are conducting additional unannounced visits.

“We are aware of a video that’s being circulated that has gained local and national attention about child care centers in Minnesota,” Brown said.

“While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”

Brown claimed each facility referenced in the video had been inspected at least once in the past six months as part of routine licensing, with visits conducted without advance notice.

She noted that inspectors observed children on site during those visits and that none of the earlier reviews uncovered fraud.

“None of those investigations uncovered findings of fraud,” Brown concluded, adding that payments to the centers named in the video have not been paused.

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