The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing next week on alleged government fraud in Minnesota, Chair James Comer, R-Ky., announced Wednesday.
Comer said the committee will convene a hearing titled, "Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I," at 10 a.m. on Jan. 7, featuring Minnesota state lawmakers who have raised alarms about what Comer described as widespread fraud and misuse in the state's social services programs.
Comer also said he has invited Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to testify before the committee on Feb. 10.
"Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have either been asleep at the wheel or complicit in a massive fraud involving taxpayer dollars in Minnesota's social services programs," Comer said in a release announcing the hearing, adding that Americans "demand and deserve accountability" for the theft of taxpayer funds.
Comer said the Department of Justice is actively investigating and prosecuting fraudsters who have "stolen billions" and argued that Congress has a duty to expose failures, strengthen safeguards, and impose serious consequences on those involved.
Witnesses listed for the hearing include Minnesota State Reps. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove; Walter Hudson, R-St. Paul; and Marion Rarick, R-Wright County; with the committee noting additional witnesses may be added later.
The probe is not happening in a vacuum. The committee said it is investigating extensive money laundering and fraud uncovered by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota.
Comer has requested documents, communications, and records from Walz and Ellison related to alleged fraud under their watch and has asked the U.S. Treasury Department to provide relevant Suspicious Activity Reports connected to the investigation.
The committee also plans transcribed interviews with Minnesota state officials.
The Trump administration has already taken steps in response to allegations that federal programs in Minnesota were exploited on a large scale, including a recent move to freeze federal child care payments to the state.
Health and Human Services officials said the action was part of a broader crackdown on fraud and weak oversight and cited concerns that taxpayer dollars were being siphoned away from children and families the programs are intended to help.
Federal officials say enforcement activity has intensified across multiple agencies.
The administration has pointed to ongoing investigations and arrests, and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Justice Department has been investigating the allegations for months, with dozens of convictions already secured.
Comer's hearing marks a major test of government accountability: whether elected officials and bureaucracies that oversee taxpayer-funded programs will finally be forced to answer for failures that allowed alleged fraud to flourish.
With Washington focused on cutting waste and restoring public trust, the committee says it intends to keep pressing until taxpayers get full transparency, with consequences for anyone who enabled the abuse of federal funds.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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