Comer targets Walz in new House investigation, citing nearly $1B in alleged Minnesota fraud
The House Oversight Committee has opened a probe into Gov. Tim Walz's handling of a massive relief program in Minnesota that federal prosecutors say devolved into the largest COVID-19 fraud...
By Fox News · Fox News
The House Oversight Committee has opened a probe into Gov. Tim Walz's handling of a massive relief program in Minnesota that federal prosecutors say devolved into the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country. "Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was warned about massive fraud in a pandemic food-aid program for children, yet he failed to act," Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. "Instead, whistleblowers who raised concerns faced retaliation," Comer added. "Because of Governor Walz’s negligence, criminals — including Somali terrorists — stole nearly $1 billion from the program while children suffered. The House Oversight Committee will conduct a thorough investigation into Governor Walz’s failure to safeguard taxpayer dollars." Comer's decision comes as the Treasury Department announced that it too is investigating the scandal and looking into whether Minnesota tax dollars were diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab. BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO RECOUP $200B IN FRAUDULENT COVID LOANS, HOUSE COMMITTEE SAYS The Justice Department said approximately $300 million in taxpayer funds intended to feed low-income children during the pandemic was diverted through a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future in a sprawling case that has now grown to at least 78 defendants. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota said it was the largest pandemic-relief fraud scheme charged to date in the U.S. Some of the organizations tied to the fraud were run by Somali Minnesotans, federal prosecutors say. Minnesota education officials say Feeding Our Future and its partner organizations submitted more than $500 million in claims — and Comer has alleged the total losses may have approached $1 billion. Walz has come under fire after nearly 500 employees of the Minnesota Department of Human Services accused his administration of failing to act on early warnings of widespread fraud and retaliating against internal whistleblowers. As chairman of…