Minnesota GOP state Rep. Mike Wiener Friday on Newsmax compared the inner workings of his state government to organized crime as he accused top Democrat leaders of covering up what he said is as much as $9 billion in Medicaid fraud.
"Well, you could say that the state of Minnesota has almost been run like the Mafia," Wiener said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early." "Things are getting covered up. Things are not getting talked about."
Wiener said "nearly 500 whistleblowers" have come forward and that lawmakers collecting information have seen people become reluctant to testify "because of the backlash or pushback."
"Those whistleblowers are afraid," he said. "They're afraid of what's being said. They're afraid to even testify in some situations because of the backlash or pushback."
He also claimed some whistleblowers were threatened and discouraged from cooperating.
"Some of the whistleblowers have been basically threatened," Wiener said. "They've been told not to go forward with some of these investigations because of potential racism."
Wiener said the allegations have "blown up in the state" and questioned what it signals when, he said, residents are watching billions in taxpayer money disappear.
"What kind of message does that send when you're seeing $9 billion of potential fraud?" he said. "People are saying, we have a problem here."
Wiener alleged that state leadership, including Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, is "not just turning a blind eye to it, but they're accountable for this."
Wiener also called for repayment to taxpayers, saying the alleged fraud carries a direct cost for families across the state.
"That's $3,000 per income taxpayer in this state, give or take," he said. "$3,000 helps pay your heating bill, absolutely puts food on the table, it takes care of daycare, and to have this squandered, I want to see this money go back to the taxpayers."
He said he believes "the state is responsible to get that money back."
Wiener also addressed concerns around immigration enforcement, saying public anxiety is being fueled by confusion about Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
"The biggest problem that I see with some of this national attention on the ICE situation is people have been driven to the point of fear because of just not knowing what's going on," he said.
Wiener said residents in small towns are unsettled when agents arrive, even when he said they are only looking for specific suspects.
"We have a situation in a local town where ICE came in just looking for two individuals, but the town is kind of apprehensive because this is something they haven't seen before," he said.
Wiener said he believes Minnesotans broadly support ICE efforts when the targets are violent offenders.
"We want to get those criminals off the street, and I think everybody can agree with that," he said. "So the average person in the state of Minnesota, I believe, is all in favor of ICE."
He also urged clearer public messaging about who is being sought.
"These are bad actors. They are rapists. They're murderers. They're drug traffickers. They're child sex traffickers," Wiener said. "We don't want them in our state."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.