Walz, Ellison, and Omar Dodge Questions on Minnesota's Massive Fraud Scandal After Heated Congressional Hearing

Minnesota Officials Go Silent After Explosive Fraud Hearing on Capitol Hill

In the wake of a fiery House Oversight Committee hearing focused on Minnesota's staggering fraud scandal, state officials — including Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Representative Ilhan Omar — refused to engage with reporters seeking answers about their roles in the controversy.

Walz and Ellison Avoid the Press

Following Wednesday's hearing, Fox News Digital reporters attempted to question both Walz and Ellison in the hallways of the Capitol. When asked directly, "Why wasn't the fraud caught sooner, governor? Almost $10 billion — why wasn't it caught sooner?" Walz offered no response. Flanked by staff members, he moved briskly down a hallway, pausing only briefly to exchange words with another individual. In a second attempt to get a statement from the governor, Walz once again remained silent, this time simply acknowledging a nearby security guard before continuing on his way.

Attorney General Keith Ellison fared no differently. When reporters asked him why the fraud had gone undetected for so long, Ellison ignored the question entirely and proceeded up a staircase without comment.

Representative Ilhan Omar, who was not among those who testified but has drawn scrutiny over her alleged connections to the Feeding Our Future fraud case in Minnesota, similarly refused to address reporters' questions following the hearing.

Republicans Unleash Criticism During the Hearing

During the hearing itself, both Walz and Ellison faced relentless questioning from Republican lawmakers, with the central focus being a familiar political refrain: what did they know, and when did they know it?

Representative Virginia Foxx delivered one of the sharpest rebukes of the day, directly confronting Walz over his handling of the scandal.

"You did not do your job, you did not do your job," Foxx declared. "You did not protect taxpayer dollars. You allowed massive fraud. You and Mr. Ellison allowed massive fraud to go on in the state of Minnesota. It is unfortunate, as somebody said, that you can't be held personally responsible at this stage in the game."

Mace Grills Walz on Basic State Statistics

One of the most pointed exchanges of the hearing came from Representative Nancy Mace, who pressed Walz for specific data — including the number of children in Minnesota and details surrounding a dramatic rise in autism care spending. Walz struggled to provide concrete figures, prompting a sharp response from Mace.

"OK, so your excuse before — that you didn't know what the 2017 autism numbers were — because you were not governor, and today you can't answer the numbers about 2024 as governor, and you still said you prepared for this hearing today. It's unbelievable," Mace said.

Higgins Calls for Ellison's Resignation

Attorney General Ellison also found himself under fire from Representative Clay Higgins, who demanded to know whether Ellison was personally leading criminal investigations into the fraud. When Ellison's answers failed to satisfy him, Higgins escalated his demands.

"I'm not talking about Medicaid fraud, don't hide behind that," Higgins said, cutting off Ellison mid-response. "You have the authority to prosecute anything criminally that the governor asks you to, and this thing is big. I'm giving you an opportunity, sir — are you leading the criminal investigative effort into this massive fraud across the board… or not?"

After Ellison declined to give the direct answer Higgins was seeking, the congressman called on him to step down from office. "You are not leading. I'm going to say, Mr. Chairman, that the attorney general of the state of Minnesota should resign," Higgins stated.

Impeachment Talk Surfaces as Hearing Concludes

As the hearing drew to a close, tensions escalated further when Representative Nick Langworthy raised the possibility of impeaching Governor Walz. Citing provisions within Minnesota's own Constitution, Langworthy accused Walz of "malfeasance" in office — a pointed reminder that despite withdrawing from his reelection campaign amid the growing scandal, Walz continues to serve as the state's governor.

The hearing has reignited public debate over government accountability and the oversight of federally funded programs at the state level, with Republicans vowing to continue pressing for answers in the weeks ahead.