Walz and Ellison Face Questioning Over Fraud In Minnesota

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Attorney General Keith Ellison faced questioning last Wednesday in a House Oversight Committee hearing over their efforts to combat fraud.

Independent Journalism: A video published in December by independent journalist Nick Shirley alleged millions of dollars in fraud within the state of Minnesota is going to several daycares and medical clinics with no patients and no children. Since the video, allegations of widespread fraud have made mainstream headlines, with outlets across the spectrum providing uniquely slanted analyses and reporting.

Operation Metro Surge: The alleged fraud led to many arrests, mostly of Somali immigrants, and was one of the reasons cited by President Donald Trump for Operation Metro Surge which resulted in more than 4,000 arrests and the locating of 3,364 unaccompanied alien children in the Minneapolis area. The operation was criticized by some outlets like the Minnesota Reformer (Left bias), calling it an "unprecedented federal incursion" that led to "massive resistance" and the killing of two American citizens.

Party Lines: CBS News (Lean Left) reporting said the questions asked during the hearing "largely fell upon party lines," with Republicans focusing on the fraud scandal and Democrats asking about the immigration crackdown.

Walz: Blaze Media (Right) called the hearing heated, and said "Tampon Tim" [Walz] was "confronted by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) about fraud in his state — and his reaction did not make him look good." The article highlighted how he "repeatedly" said he won't be used as Mace's "prop" as she asked the Gov. to define what a woman is, saying "If you can't define what a woman is, you certainly can't define what fraud is." Associated Press (Left) highlighted Walz saying "the people of Minnesota have been singled out and targeted for political retribution at an unparalleled scale," noting he blamed the immigration surge for making it more difficult to root out fraud.  

Ellison: The Minneapolis Times (Center) mentioned that Ellison "attempted to shift the narrative" towards the immigration operation over claims that it "destabilized" state investigative resources. The House Oversight Committee estimated up to $9 billion in Medicaid funds exposed to fraud, along with $250 million from a child nutrition program called Feeding Our Future. Minneapolis Times said that Ellison's defense to the fraud allegations was that his office lacks "original jurisdiction" and cannot investigate without a referral from a state agency. Ellison called the $9 billion figure "speculative" and "politically motivated."

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