Minn officials blame Tim Walz ‘100%’ for ‘massive fraud’ in Somali community

A statement was posted from an account called “Minnesota Department of Human Service Employees” on X, which claims to represent more than 480 current DHS staff members, alleged that Walz was “100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota,” asserting that employees repeatedly raised concerns about fraudulent activity within DHS programs but were met with “monitoring, threats, repression,” and efforts to discredit internal reports.

According to the group, agency leaders appointed by the governor “willfully disregarded rules and laws” in order to keep fraud reports from surfacing, at times allegedly escalating to actions that staff described as retaliatory. The statement further criticized Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) lawmakers and several Minnesota media outlets, alleging that they downplayed concerns in order to protect political allies.

The employees argued that some DHS programs, particularly those tied to behavioral health and disability services, lacked safeguards against abuse. They claimed that internal attempts to investigate or halt misuse were suppressed due to fears of appearing discriminatory or politically motivated. They also named several agency administrators, asserting that none had been held accountable for oversight failures.

The group’s statement concluded with an appeal for federal intervention, arguing that they could not counteract fraud “alone” and expressing gratitude toward lawmakers and journalists who have pursued investigations.

The employees’ post coincided with renewed national attention on Minnesota following the US Justice Department’s recent announcement of the 78th defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future scandal, a scheme that prosecutors say involved more than $250 million in fraudulent claims from a federal child nutrition program. More than 50 people have already been convicted in what is considered one of the largest pandemic-era fraud cases in the country.

Reporting by The New York Times noted that several fraud schemes over the past five years allegedly involved individuals within parts of Minnesota’s Somali community, including cases where companies billed state agencies for services that were never provided. A City Journal report previously claimed, citing federal sources, that some stolen funds were transferred to Somalia and the terror group Al-Shabaab.

Gov. Walz said during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, where host Kristen Welker asked whether he accepts responsibility for failing to prevent the fraud, “Well, certainly, I take responsibility for putting people in jail.”

He added, “To demonize an entire community on the actions of a few, it’s lazy,” he said. Walz has repeatedly rejected claims that his administration ignored fraud warnings.

On Truth Social, President Donald Trump said he would terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in Minnesota, citing “fraudulent money laundering activity,” and writing, “Send them back to where they came from.”

Trump also referred to Walz as “retarded” at a recent event. When asked by reporters whether he stood by the remark, he replied, “Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with him,” later linking his criticism to immigration and federal aid sent to Somalia.

Walz condemned Trump’s comments as “damaging,” warning that such statements normalize “hateful behavior” toward Minnesota’s Somali population.