Minnesota Republican state Sen. Nathan Wesenberg told Newsmax on Wednesday that Gov. Tim Walz should resign and face criminal consequences over what he described as years of unchecked fraud across state agencies, saying the state has "no oversight" under Walz's leadership.
Wesenberg told "American Agenda" that Walz "belongs in prison, not office," arguing that alleged large-scale fraud flourished because the governor controls agency leadership and blocked efforts to impose stricter oversight.
"I was surprised when Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz to run because this would expose the nation to all the fraud," Wesenberg said of the former vice president choosing the governor as her Democratic running mate in 2024. "Now we know what's going on."
Wesenberg pointed to multiple problems during Walz's tenure, including the state's handling of COVID-19 restrictions and Walz's response to the 2020 riots in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.
"For three days, Minneapolis was burning down and he did nothing," Wesenberg said, calling the governor a "communist dictator."
Minnesota has been at the center of several high-profile fraud investigations in recent years, including the Feeding Our Future case, in which federal prosecutors charged dozens of defendants with stealing more than $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked about Walz's response to the investigations, Wesenberg criticized the governor's proposal to add additional layers of bureaucracy rather than tightening enforcement within existing agencies.
"Tim Walz is, 'I'm the government. I'm here to help,' and we know that doesn't work," Wesenberg said. "He's hiring someone that only talks to him."
Wesenberg said Republican lawmakers tried to pass legislation to strengthen oversight and protect whistleblowers but were blocked by Democrats.
"We tried to pass bills to have oversight on these things," he said. "He's lying. The Democrats stopped it."
The senator also called for federal intervention, saying Minnesota lacks meaningful internal accountability.
"The FBI needs to come in. We need the federal government to crack down," he said.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday on X that he is surging federal agents and "investigative resources" to Minnesota. He said the bureau's investigation will look to "dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs," some of which have already been uncovered.
Patel pointed to numerous indictments and convictions handed down last month against individuals involved with Feeding Our Future.
According to the Department of Justice, the money was not used for children's meals but instead to fund the organization's leaders' "lavish lifestyles." Some funds were also reportedly funneled to the Somali-based al-Shabab terrorist group.
Patel said that scheme is "just the tip of a very large iceberg," vowing to "continue to follow the money and protect children."
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