Rep. Randy Fine, speaking Sunday on Newsmax, said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his administration "knew exactly what was going on" with the pandemic-era fraud in Minnesota.
"I think they did more than turn a blind eye," the Florida Republican told Newsmax's "Sunday Report." "I think they knew exactly what was going on.
"It is part of the plan to get votes in elections."
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged dozens of people with felonies in what they say was a scheme to steal more than $240 million in federal child-nutrition funds.
Millions of dollars in stolen Minnesota welfare funds were allegedly diverted by members of the state's Somali community to an overseas terrorist group linked to al-Qaida, according to investigators.
In a separate case, prosecutors allege a group fraudulently billed the state of Minnesota through a housing stabilization program that claimed to help people at risk of homelessness.
That program paid out more than $104 million, prosecutors said.
Fine said rapid growth in certain Minnesota public benefit programs should have raised red flags.
He pointed to what he described as "explosive growth" over a short period in programs including autism and housing, and said the scale of the issue would have been apparent with basic scrutiny.
"Anyone who spent two minutes looking at it would have said something about it," Fine said.
Pressed on whether there will be accountability, Fine said federal and state officials must act. "We do not have a choice but to create accountability," he said. "If we do not deal with this, we are going to lose our country."
Fine said he has introduced legislation that would bar immigrants, including legal immigrants, from receiving welfare benefits, framing it as a way to deter people from coming to the U.S. primarily for government assistance.
"If you come here for freedom and opportunity, that is a discussion that we should have," Fine said. "But if you are coming here for free stuff, you need to stay home."
Fine also endorsed President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement approach, arguing immigration is a primary driver of affordability problems in the United States. He said large-scale immigration pushes up costs by increasing demand for housing and public services.
"When you bring 30 million people in who should not be here, they live in houses that drive up housing prices," Fine said, adding that it also increases insurance, healthcare, and education costs. "So it is not just for safety, but it is for affordability."
The interview later turned to antisemitism and violence targeting Jewish communities.
Fine linked the broader security debate to immigration policy and called for tighter restrictions and vetting of people already in the country, arguing newcomers should "share our values" and assimilate.
"If you want to come to America, you should love America, share our values, and want to assimilate because immigration without assimilation is invasion," Fine said.
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