This week, Tim Walz announced that he will not pursue re-election as Minnesota’s governor. After six years in office (including a failed 2024 vice-presidential run alongside Kamala Harris), Walz is stepping away from a state drowning in scandal. The timing is no coincidence.
Under Walz’s watch, Minnesota became ground zero for massive, systemic fraud in welfare and assistance programs. An estimated $9 billion in taxpayer funds — nearly equal to Somalia’s entire GDP — was stolen through fraudulent daycare centers, child nutrition programs, and pandemic relief schemes. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Minnesota’s childcare program an “epic failure,” noting that Minnesota’s improper-payment rate is 11 percent compared to Texas’s 0.43 percent.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer demanded Walz account for the fraud and consider resignation. Nearly 500 Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) staffers accused Walz of ignoring warnings and retaliating against whistleblowers. The U.S. Treasury is investigating whether stolen funds were funneled to Islamic terror group Al-Shabaab through hawala networks.