Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Accused of Failing to Stop Widespread Fraud Across State Programs

Minnesota State Senator Mark Koran has accused Governor Tim Walz of fostering a culture that allowed widespread fraud across state-administered programs, stating the governor and his administration have been “extraordinarily incompetent or willfully complicit” for years.

In an interview on Wednesday, Koran described how state agencies under Walz’s leadership have become so ineffective they cannot perform basic oversight duties. He noted officials have been forced to halt program expansions due to an inability to meet compliance and enforcement standards.

Koran emphasized that lawmakers have been addressing the issue for years, even as public attention has recently increased. “There’s nothing new here from our perspective,” he said, adding that while a “local video went viral and now the world is aware of it,” the legislature has been “battling this for over a couple of decades.”

The senator placed direct blame on Walz, stating the governor has overseen relevant programs for seven years without taking action to stop misconduct. “Gov. Walz has been responsible for all of these programs for the last seven years,” Koran said. “You can see it in the governor’s own words. And he’s done nothing to stop it.”

Koran also alleged that Walz worked to silence internal critics, claiming the administration has blocked whistleblowers and agency employees from reporting wrongdoing. “The only thing he’s done is tried to stop all whistleblowers,” he said.

Koran described the fraud as expanding far beyond child daycare services, now affecting nearly every reimbursable Medicaid program. He noted that some programs have grown from a few million dollars annually to hundreds of millions without adequate oversight or projected need.

“The tentacles are far and wide,” Koran stated. “Our state agencies have done nothing about it, so only federal resources can address this crisis.”