THE PROBLEM:
Minnesota has a fraud crisis. For too long, the democrat-controlled administration chose to look the other way. The warning signs were there—failed oversight, explosive growth in program expenses, whistleblowers who raised alarms and got punished for it. Then came the breaking point: the Feeding Our Future scandal, where more than $250 million meant to feed children was stolen. Federal prosecutors called it the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the country.
That was just the beginning. Investigators have since uncovered fraud across childcare, autism services, housing, and Medicaid. Federal prosecutors have warned the total exposure could reach $9 billion or more. $9 billion. In one state.
I’ve been demanding answers since 2022, long before this became a national headline.
WHAT I’VE DONE:
From 2022 through 2024, I led or joined four rounds of formal congressional demands tied to the Feeding Our Future scandal. We pressed USDA Secretary Vilsack for documents. When his response was evasive, we went back. When dozens of individuals had been charged, we went back again demanding internal communications and a full accounting from Minnesota’s own Education Commissioner. We continued to press for answers using every option available to a legislative Member. Our pressure culminated in a congressional subpoena issued to Tim Walz, the democrat’s Vice President nominee, just two months before the general election. As we saw in his debate with Vice President J.D., Walz wasn’t used to facing tough questions and buckled under the intense scrutiny.
As the fraud spread beyond Feeding Our Future, so did my work. In May 2025, I joined my colleagues in writing to Governor Walz directly, calling Minnesota what it is: a national case study in failed program oversight.
When Walz refused a federal USDA request for Minnesota’s SNAP data—a refusal that put food assistance for 400,000 Minnesotans at risk—I pushed back. When CMS halted $259 million in Medicaid payments, including $234.8 million in unsupported or potentially fraudulent claims, I demanded Walz comply with federal law.
And when the House Oversight Committee held hearings, I made sure the record reflected the full truth, including a letter from DHS whistleblowers and a New York Post investigation revealing that Walz administration officials were electronically surveilling the very people who reported fraud.
That’s retaliation. And it’s why I acted.
MY LEGISLATION:
One of the clearest failures in Minnesota was that the people who saw the fraud and spoke up were punished for it. That’s unacceptable.
That’s why I introduced the Federal Funds Whistleblower Protection Extension Act (H.R. 7824). My bill expands federal whistleblower protections to state and local government employees, contractors, and subcontractors who handle federal funds. It establishes criminal penalties of up to five years in prison for any government official who retaliates against a whistleblower. And it requires states to uphold these protections as a condition of receiving federal funding.
If you handle taxpayer dollars, you answer to the taxpayers. That’s the standard this bill sets.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
I’ve written letters. I’ve pushed hearings. I’ve spoken out on the issue in interviews. I’ve cosponsored bills and introduced legislation of my own. Every step of the way, I’ve fought to make sure Minnesota’s fraud crisis couldn’t be swept under the rug.
In March 2026, the House Oversight Committee concluded that both Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison knew about the fraud as early as 2019 and failed to act. That’s a failure of leadership at the highest level.
The era of looking the other way is over. I am honored to serve you, and protecting your taxpayer dollars is exactly what I’m here to do. I will keep working until there is full accountability for every dollar stolen, and for every official who let it happen.