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By Kate Plummer and Joshua Rhett Miller
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Minnesota governor Tim Walz has been accused of turning "Minnesota into a failed state" for allowing "health and human services fraud" to "cripple state services."
Writing on X, an account claiming to represent 480 staff at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) said the governor, who served as former vice president Kamala Harris' running mate in 2024, "has failed Minnesota." In another post, they added: "Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota."
Last week, the Justice Department announced new charges against the 78th defendant in a scheme called Feeding Our Future. Prosecutors said the scheme involved more than $250 million in stolen funds from a child nutrition program and has led to over 50 convictions. According to a New York Times report, some of these schemes were linked to parts of Minnesota's Somali community.
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Walz told NBC's Meet the Press, when asked if he takes responsibility for not stopping the fraud: "Well, certainly, I take responsibility for putting people in jail."
The Minnesota DHS told Newsweek on Monday in an emailed statement that it "cannot confirm whether the account on X (formerly Twitter) that you reference is run by any Minnesota Department of Human Services employees." Continuing, the agency said the it is "not an official department account and does not represent the views of the agency."
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He added: "I will note, it's not just Somalis. Minnesota is a generous state. Minnesota is a prosperous state, a well-run state. We're AAA-bond rated. But that attracts criminals. Those people are going to jail. We're doing everything we can. But to demonize an entire community on the actions of a few, it's lazy," he said.
Newsweek reached out to Walz' office, the X account. and DHS by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
The fraud allegations raise questions about Walz' governorship and the extent to which the state handles allegations of wrongdoing effectively.
Criticism of Walz will impact his political standing especially given he is seeking reelection in the state and it could affect the Democrat's performance in the state more broadly in the November 2026 midterm elections.
What To Know
The DHS employee X account said it had informed Walz about fraud and claimed Walz "retaliated against whistleblowers" and discredited their reports.
"This is a cascade of systemic failures leading up to Tim Walz," the account wrote.
"Leadership did not want to appear to discriminate against certain communities and were unwilling to take action, such as stopping fraud, that would have an adverse impact on their image," it added.
"Fundamentally, Tim Walz is dishonest, lacks ethics and integrity, has poor leadership abilities, and has never taken any accountability for his role in fraud.
It said it believed investigations would in total uncover $10 billion of fraud in total from small and large providers.
These claims have not been verified and the identity of the X account owner is not known, or their political persuasion.
Walz has taken measures against fraud. In October, DHS disenrolled 800 Medicaid providers in the state who had not billed Medicaid for more than a year, in a move to combat fraud. Walz then announced that 14 other Medicaid services would be frozen during a fraud investigation.
The decisions fell in line with Walz's Executive Order 25-10, which is about "empowering state agencies to continue combating fraud."
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Department of Human Services in a statement to Newsweek: "We cannot confirm whether the account on X (formerly Twitter) that you reference is run by any Minnesota Department of Human Services employees. It is not an official department account and does not represent the views of the agency. Individuals may choose to share their personal opinions through social media or other platforms. Any perception that employees are being discouraged from raising issues, or that efforts are being made to identify those who speak up, is false and runs counter to our values and expectations. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has strong policies and procedures in place to protect employees who report concerns or potential misconduct, consistent with state and federal whistleblower protections. Retaliation of any kind is strictly prohibited."
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last week: "Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota." He added "Tim Walz does nothing either through fear, incompetence, or both."
Florida governor Ron DeSantis shared a New York Times story about fraud in Minnesota and wrote: "If even the NYT is calling out the Somali welfare fraud—and Democrats who enabled it — it must be really bad."
Political commentator Meghan McCain wrote: "This is an absolutely horrifying and enraging story." She added: "Also Tim Walz should step down over this. The Somali social service scandal is one of the greatest frauds in American history."
What Happens Next
Walz is running for a third consecutive term in office.
Update, 12/1/25 at 3:11 p.m. ET: A statement from Minnesota's DHS was added.
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