WASHINGTON — The federal government’s unprecedented assault on Minnesota continued to escalate this week with the announcement of a new congressional investigation into a web of allegations that funds from a number of federal agencies were subject to fraud.

The U.S. departments of the treasury, labor, justice, education and health and human services, the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota and other federal agencies have already launched investigations into what they claim is the wide misuse of federal funds in the state — and say Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is at fault.

The governor’s office said the avalanche of federal probes is an orchestrated political assault on Walz, who is running for reelection.

“This is clearly a coordinated political attack to try to silence one of the President’s most effective critics,” it said in a statement. “The governor takes fraud seriously and wishes they would too.”

There’s a “flood the zone” strategy to the Trump administration’s focus on Minnesota.

The state’s unemployment insurance program is under investigation. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said  President Donald Trump directed her to look into immigrants’ visas in Minnesota.

There are also probes into the state’s handling of food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Covid-era Paycheck Protection Program, transgender athletes and “ghost students” in Minnesota schools, and the use of Medicaid funds in several state social welfare programs. The Trump administration has also sought — unsuccessfully, so far — information about Minnesota voter registrations.

Now Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has gotten into the act, expanding the panel’s probe into fraud in Minnesota programs. Comer held dozens of hearings during the ramp up to the 2024 presidential election focused on alleged influence peddling schemes by former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter and other Biden family members, but that massive probe failed to lead to an impeachment vote.

As the Kentucky Republican has attracted national attention holding the gavel of that top U.S. House investigative committee, he’s been described by admirers as dogged and dismissed by detractors as overly politically partisan, over-reaching and too headline driven.

More recently, Comer’s panel has been involved in interviewing witnesses and obtaining records related to the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, Biden’s use of an autopen and the “sanctuary” policies of Democratic mayors and governors. Walz was among officials questioned by Comer’s panel on those policies as recently as June.

Citing “whistleblowers,” Comer said in a statement this week that “American taxpayers were defrauded in Minnesota, raising serious questions about whether Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison failed to act or (were) complicit in the theft.”

“While Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison turn a blind eye to taxpayer fraud, the House Oversight Committee is acting decisively and will use its full power to protect hardworking taxpayers,” Comer said.

He sent letters to seven current and former Minnesota state agency officials at the state Department of Education and state Department of Human Services, asking them to appear for behind-closed-door interviews on certain dates in late January and February and threatening them with subpoenas if they do not comply.

Earlier this month, Comer also requested information from Walz and Ellison and said they have failed to fully respond to his panel’s request for documents and information.

Walz hit back this week with a “fraud fact sheet.”

It detailed what his administration has done to combat the avalanche of federal allegations, including establishing a new Office of Inspector General at the Minnesota Department of Education, hiring Tim O’Malley as the new “Head of Program Integrity” and implementing background checks and more frequent site visits on providers and non-profits involved in high-risk Medicaid programs.

The Walz administration also released a “MN Fraud Response” timeline with a graphic depiction of what it has done to fight or prevent fraud since 2022.

Targeting Somalis, but not in Minnesota

As the Trump administration’s crackdown on Minnesota immigrants, dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” continues, the New York Times reported this week that Columbus, Ohio, “a blue city in a red state” with a large Somali population, is the new target of immigration enforcement.

The Somali immigrant population in Columbus is the second largest in the country, after Minneapolis.

“Somalis make up one of the largest immigrant communities in Columbus, and Somali immigrants nationwide have been a target of President Trump,” the Times said. “Earlier this month, he called them ‘garbage’ and said he wanted to send them back to their troubled homeland in East Africa.”

But, just like in the Twin Cities, most of Columbus’ Somalis have legal status. So, just as it’s happening in Operation Metro Surge, a great number of the immigrants detained in Columbus come from Latin America and other nations, the NYT said.

The raids in Columbus have prompted immigrants to stay home from work and school, the Times reported.

The paper also said the Catholic Diocese of Columbus on Tuesday announced that because of the increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the city, parishioners would be excused from attending Mass through the Christmas season.

ICYMI

▪️Metro reporter Trevor Mitchell wrote that as “Operation Metro Surge” continues, city leaders in Minneapolis and St. Paul are seeking to strengthen local laws about when and how police interact with federal agents.
▪️Cleo Krejci wrote about a new study that suggests it’s relatively easy for underage people to buy hemp-derived THC in the Twin Cities area, despite Minnesota’s age-restriction law. 
▪️Energy costs are spiking and disconnections are increasing as Minnesotans face a long winter – and the state’s utility companies are asking for new rate hikes that will continue to make heating your house more expensive. 
▪️Shadi Bushra found that immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship in Minnesota are experiencing a sense of relief in securing protection from deportation during the Trump administration’s immigrant crackdown. 

If you have any questions or comments, please send them my way. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.

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