The House Education and Workforce Committee has issued a subpoena to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, requesting documents and communications related to a massive fraud scheme involving a non-profit that misused pandemic relief funds intended to feed children.
“The Committee must now compel the production of responsive documents that will show the extent of the actions taken by you and your administration relating to MDE’s administration of the FCNP and the extent of your responsibilities and actions addressing the massive fraud that resulted in the abuse of taxpayer dollars intended for hungry children,” Virginia Foxx, the Republican chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce said in the subpoenaed letter.
“You are well aware of the multimillion-dollar fraud that has occurred under your tenure as governor.” Foxx has also emphasized that the committee previously made voluntary requests to Minnesota’s Department of Education for documents but “has been unable to obtain substantive responsive materials.”
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However, a spokesperson for Walz condemned the fraud as “an appalling abuse of a federal Covid-era program.”
“The state department of education worked diligently to stop the fraud and we’re grateful to the FBI for working with the Department of Education to arrest and charge the individuals involved,” the spokesperson added.
Walz in the hot seat, subpoenaed in federal probe
NBC News first reported on the subpoenas, which were also sent to other officials, including Minnesota’s Commissioner of Education Willie Jett, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong.
The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating the oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Minnesota’s Department of Education regarding federal child nutrition programs, particularly in relation to Feeding Our Future, a non-profit accused of stealing more than $250 million from pandemic relief funds.
Five individuals involved in the fraud were convicted earlier this year, and their trial revealed shocking details, including an attempt to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash. In total, 70 people have been charged in connection with the scheme.
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The subpoena issued to Walz does not require his personal appearance before the committee, but it demands that documents be submitted by September 18. The Democratic vice-presidential nominee has faced increased scrutiny over the state’s handling of the fraud during his time as Minnesota’s top executive.
