"Your former chief of staff was notified directly by these various commissioners about the fraud in Minnesota"
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) joined the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for a hearing entitled, "Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II."
Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) and Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN) were invited to testify under oath before the assembled committee membership. This was the second hearing into the misuse of federal taxpayer dollars from Minnesota's social programs under the Walz administration.
In December 2025, the House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into the extensive money laundering and fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs that has been uncovered by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota. Criminals in Minnesota have stolen an estimated $9 billion in taxpayer funds intended to feed children, support autistic children, house low-income, and disabled Americans, and provide healthcare to vulnerable Medicaid recipients.
On January 7, 2026, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I,” where the Committee heard from Minnesota state lawmakers who have sounded the alarm on fraud. State lawmakers testified that Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison failed to take action to address this widespread fraud and have retaliated against whistleblowers who raised concerns.
Watch the Congressman's full remarks here:
DONALDS: "We have it under sworn testimony in the Oversight Committee that your former chief of staff was notified directly by these various commissioners about the fraud in Minnesota." WALZ: "That could be correct." DONALDS: "So, are you saying that your chief of staff didn't notify you?" WALZ: "I'm saying I don't recall whether he did at that time or not, but we took action. So, I'm assuming when we put our budgets together based on that, we put a package together for that legislative session."
