Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Thursday that she and other House Oversight Committee members have asked the Department of Justice to investigate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, accusing the state's top officials of obstructing federal scrutiny of alleged fraud tied to social services programs.
Luna made the comments on "Newsline" while discussing protests tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and what she described as a broader pattern of "resistance" to fraud inquiries in Minnesota.
"Of course, we actually just yesterday referred both the AG and Tim Walz to the Department of Justice for investigation, obviously obstructing federal law and intentionally turning down what they knew as fraud," Luna said.
She added that she spoke with DOJ officials on Thursday and said they "confirmed receipt of both of those letters."
Luna's remarks came as the House Oversight Committee escalates a separate inquiry into political funding linked to protests. She said the committee has pursued testimony from Neville Roy Singham, a U.S. citizen and businessman she accused of supporting "left-leaning pro-communist organizations" that benefit only the Chinese Communist Party.
Luna said she believes Singham should be registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and described his activities as a "FARA violation."
She said investigators have traced what she called a "money trail" and accused Singham of helping finance anti-ICE activism, including protests she linked to Minnesota as fraud investigations involving the Somali community proceed.
The segment also referenced ongoing state and federal attention on alleged fraud in Minnesota, including questions about whether taxpayer dollars were improperly obtained through benefit programs. The host cited claims involving housing assistance, food aid, and unemployment programs, and asked Luna about Ellison's public stance.
In a clip played during the interview, Ellison said: "Of course we've done enough, and we're doing more every single day."
He added: "This is a political matter. This is not a serious thing."
Luna rejected that characterization and said she believes both Ellison and Walz broke federal law.
"I'm very positive and comfortable in my position [that] both those individuals broke federal law, and they will be held accountable by the Department of Justice," she said.
Luna also pointed to efforts to involve the Department of the Treasury in related inquiries. She said that she had contacted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and had not yet received a response.
Bessent appeared Thursday at the Economic Club of Minnesota, where he has publicly discussed administration priorities as federal agencies review allegations tied to Minnesota programs.
No DOJ spokesperson was immediately cited in the interview, and Luna did not specify which statutes she believes were violated or what evidence was included in her referrals. Her office did not release the letters during the segment.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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