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Washington’s accountability warriors are finally dragging Minnesota’s political class into the light. House Oversight Chairman James Comer has announced hearings into what his committee calls massive fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs, and he has formally invited Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to testify — with state lawmakers set to appear January 7 and Walz and Ellison slated for February 10.
The alleged schemes are not petty theft; prosecutors and state charity watchdogs say entire federal programs were gamed during the COVID era, most notoriously the Feeding Our Future scandal that allegedly siphoned hundreds of millions from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Federal charging documents and oversight groups detail fabricated meal rosters, shell companies and sham “sites” that resulted in more than $240 million improperly funneled out of programs meant to feed kids.
Let’s be blunt: this didn’t happen overnight and it didn’t happen without warning signs. Republicans on Capitol Hill allege state regulators and Democratic leaders ignored red flags for years, and Comer has pushed hard for documents and communications to explain why the state’s safeguards failed while taxpayers paid the price. If Minnesota Democrats are serious about justice, they’ll cooperate fully — not posture or play politics when families and taxpayers are the ones who got robbed.
The federal response has been dramatic because the allegations are grave: the Department of Health and Human Services paused childcare payments to Minnesota amid audits and federal probes, a painful but necessary step to stop more taxpayer money from evaporating while investigations proceed. That freeze has real consequences for hardworking parents, which is why Congress must move fast to separate the innocent providers from the fraudsters and get assistance to families without letting crooked operators keep looting the system.
On Fox & Friends, former oversight chairman Jason Chaffetz was right to demand blunt answers — Walz and Ellison need to explain what they knew and when they knew it, and why Minnesotans were left to pick up the tab. Chaffetz also used the forum to contrast principled oversight with messy political half-measures, even touching on Sen. Ted Cruz’s stance about how to handle NIL rules for college athletes as an example of where principled conservative reform matters. Americans deserve leaders who defend the rule of law, not spin and excuses.
Conservatives should celebrate these hearings as more than a political show; they’re a chance to clean up a broken system and restore integrity to programs intended to help the vulnerable. Government watchdogs and investigative reporters say the evidence of abuse is overwhelming, and if the GOP follows the facts rather than the talking points, prosecutors and Congress can build the kind of sweeping reforms that prevent future theft.
This moment demands action, not sympathy for career politicians who presided over the mess. Minnesotans and all taxpayers deserve tough oversight, transparent testimony under oath, and swift prosecutions where appropriate — anything less would be a betrayal of common-sense stewardship and the hardworking Americans who pay these bills. The hearings are coming; patriots should watch, demand answers, and hold the powerful to account.
