House Republicans are preparing to widen their investigation into alleged fraud within Minnesota’s taxpayer-funded social programs, a move that could bring other states under similar scrutiny. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky said the probe will no longer focus only on Minnesota, arguing that fraud involving public funds may be a nationwide problem.
According to Comer, the goal of the investigation is to determine how deeply fraud has spread in government programs that rely on federal and state funding. He said waste, abuse, and fraud should not be tolerated anywhere in the country and promised that his committee would pursue accountability beyond Minnesota if evidence points in that direction.
The investigation has already placed several top Minnesota officials in the spotlight, including Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. Both men have been formally summoned to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of a series of high-profile hearings scheduled in the coming weeks. The first hearing will feature testimony from Republican lawmakers in the Minnesota state legislature, while Walz and Ellison are expected to appear at a follow-up session in February.
Republicans have increasingly used the investigation to criticize Minnesota’s progressive leadership, arguing that state officials failed to properly monitor how public funds were distributed and spent. Comer has accused the state government of ignoring warning signs and allowing what he describes as a large-scale fraud operation to grow unchecked.
Governor Walz recently announced that he will not seek a third term in office, a decision he linked in part to the political pressure surrounding the fraud investigations. In a public statement, Walz said he did not want to spend valuable time defending his political future when his focus should be on protecting Minnesotans and stopping criminals who exploit public generosity.
Walz has maintained that his administration has already taken steps to address fraud and strengthen oversight of social programs. He has also accused federal investigators and Republican lawmakers of exaggerating the scope of the problem for political purposes. Despite those claims, Comer insists that Walz must testify under oath to explain what he knew about the alleged fraud and when he became aware of it.
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have already charged multiple individuals in connection with the misuse of funds from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Authorities allege that more than $240 million was stolen through Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that was supposed to provide meals to children in need. The case has become one of the largest pandemic-era fraud investigations in the country.
Since those charges were filed, investigators have expanded their focus to include other state-run programs that may have been exploited. Law enforcement agencies are now reviewing how funds were distributed to childcare providers and other organizations receiving state assistance. Some of the scrutiny has centered on providers operating within the Somali community, though officials say the investigation is based on financial records and oversight failures rather than ethnicity.
Comer has said that the Minnesota case could serve as a model for broader investigations across the United States. He argues that if similar weaknesses exist in other states, Congress has a responsibility to uncover them and ensure that taxpayer money is used as intended.
As the hearings approach, the investigation continues to fuel political tension in Minnesota and beyond. While Republicans frame the probe as a necessary effort to protect public funds, Democratic leaders warn that the issue is being used to score political points. Regardless, the outcome of the investigation could shape future oversight of social programs nationwide.
