Minn. was ‘singled out and focused for political retribution’ – One America Information Community

[ad_1] <img decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264762248-800x534.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol Building on March 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing to examine the alleged misuse of federal funds intended for Minnesota social services and Medicaid programs. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)" class="wp-image-763789"/> Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies throughout a Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee listening to within the U.S. Capitol Constructing on March 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Picture by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)

OAN Employees Addie Davis5:11 PM – Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Showing earlier than a Home Oversight listening to on Wednesday, Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz tried to defend his state’s document towards fraud allegations, arguing that the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” is being unfairly focused.

“The folks of Minnesota have been singled out and focused for political retribution at an unparalleled scale,” Walz (D-Minn.) asserted.

Past addressing fraud, Walz’s testimony touched on broader state safety, as he highlighted the immigration enforcement efforts referred to as “Operation Metro Surge.”

“Underneath the guise of combating fraud, the federal authorities has flooded Minnesota with masked, untrained, and unaccountable brokers who're wreaking havoc in our communities,” he continued. “Let me be clear: In Minnesota, in case you defraud public applications, in case you steal taxpayer cash, we'll discover you, we'll prosecute you, we'll convict you, and we'll via you in jail,” Walz stated.

On the listening to, Minnesota Legal professional Basic Keith Ellison additionally echoed the deal with fraud however remained vital of the federal authorities’s methods, asserting that Operation Metro Surge failed to offer any significant answer.

“Operation Metro Surge did nothing to handle fraud in our state,” Ellison declared. “[But] it dealt a devastating blow to fraud enforcement in Minnesota.”

At one other level, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) turned the dialogue towards immigration enforcement by presenting a sequence of photographs. His presentation included pictures of youngsters of unlawful aliens whose dad and mom selected to deliver them to federal detention facilities alongside a photograph of 37-year-old Renee Good’s blood-stained automobile seat.

Garcia then requested Walz to stipulate how Operation Metro Surge affected Minnesota’s potential to research fraud — main Walz to induce the panel to work with the state to stop misuse of state applications.

“Proper now it’s stymied. There’s no investigators, there’s no U.S. attorneys. The FBI has been decimated. It’s very tough,” Walz acknowledged.

Garcia additionally claimed that there was no proof the operation — described by him as making a “reign of terror” — had prevented or diminished fraud in state applications like Medicaid or little one vitamin initiatives.

Walz agreed with the assertion.

<img decoding="async" width="800" height="525" src="https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2259514026-800x525.jpg" alt="MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 05: Observers film ICE agents as they hold a perimeter after one of their vehicles got a flat tire on Penn Avenue on February 5, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Protests continue calling for an end to immigration raids in the Twin cities which have already resulted in the fatal shooting deaths of Alex Pretti, a VA nurse, and Renee Good, a mother of three, by federal agents. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)" class="wp-image-763791"/> Observers movie ICE brokers as they maintain a fringe after one among their automobiles bought a flat tire on Penn Avenue on February 5, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Picture by Stephen Maturen/Getty Pictures)

Home Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) then grilled Governor Walz over the “Feeding Our Future” scandal, a COVID-era scheme that defrauded federal applications of a minimum of $250 million.

Jordan highlighted a vital lapse in oversight: though funds to the nonprofit had been initially halted because of fraud issues, the state resumed funding simply over a month later.

“Why didn’t you inform the reality about why you restarted the funds?” Jordan addressed the Minn. governor.

“My understanding was that the company believed that the court docket had required them to make these funds,” Walz replied.

Jordan learn aloud from a public court docket assertion, which he stated confirmed that the decide had by no means ordered the continuation of funds to the nonprofit.

“Both you’re mendacity or the court docket’s mendacity, and I’m simply asking you, which one is it?” Jordan requested pointedly.

“May it's you had been attempting to cover behind the court docket, Governor?” he added.

Nonetheless, Walz confidently claimed that attorneys had interpreted the order in a different way.

Jordan went on to spotlight how a minimum of 85% of the 98 folks indicted within the fraud case had been Somali-American, which he described as a “key voting bloc” for Democrats, suggesting this truth seemingly had a bearing on the governor’s actions.

.@Jim_Jordan questions Tim Walz over whether or not worry of political backlash stopped the forceful tackling of fraud:

"98 folks have been indicted. Do you occur to know what number of are Somalian…?"

"85%… a key voting bloc—and I believe that is what drove this complete factor." pic.twitter.com/Kwg2QZ32ts

— Fast Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 4, 2026

The listening to follows a wave of fraud allegations involving Somali-run facilities in Minnesota, which gained nationwide consideration after a viral December 2025 investigative video by YouTuber Nick Shirley.