Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the chair of the House Oversight Committee, demanded information from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz about reports of widespread fraud in the state's social services programs.
"The Committee has serious concerns about how you as the Governor, and the Democrat-controlled administration, allowed millions of dollars to be stolen," Comer wrote in a letter to Walz.
"The Committee also has concerns that you and your administration were fully aware of this fraud and chose not to act for fear of political retaliation.
"The Committee therefore requests documents and communications showing what your administration knew about this fraud and whether you took action to limit or halt the investigation into this widespread fraud."
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged dozens of people with felonies in what they say was a scheme to steal more than $240 million in federal child-nutrition funds.
The money came from U.S. Department of Agriculture meal programs intended to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors also allege the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future acted as a sponsor for the program but instead funneled large sums to shell companies that claimed to serve meals that were never provided.
Prosecutors allege that a group fraudulently billed the state of Minnesota through a housing stabilization scheme that claimed to help people at risk of homelessness, in a program that paid out more than $104 million.
On Newsmax, Tuesday, Comer said his committee could ultimately recommend criminal charges against Walz and Keith Ellison if whistleblower allegations about widespread social services fraud prove accurate.
"If what the whistleblowers are saying is true, and we can prove that, which shouldn't be hard, then I do see criminal charges being brought upon Gov. Walz and possibly Attorney General Ellison," Comer said on "Finnerty."
The allegations echo claims on X from a group representing more than 480 Minnesota Department of Human Services employees, who accuse Walz of overseeing a major social services fraud scheme and retaliating against workers who tried to expose it.
Millions of dollars in stolen Minnesota welfare funds allegedly were diverted by members of the state's Somali community to an overseas terrorist group linked to al-Qaida.
"The committee is concerned that you were negligent in handling taxpayer dollars that were ultimately stolen and had systems in place that allowed the funds to be funneled to terrorist networks responsible for killing Americans," Comer wrote in his letter to Walz.
"Whistleblowers have indicated that DHS employees are destroying evidence.
"The committee expects that you will take all steps to preserve evidence during this investigation."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.