MINNEAPOLIS (Minneapolis) – Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, has voiced sharp criticism of Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials, accusing them of failing to prevent widespread welfare fraud during the pandemic era.
The allegations stem from federal investigations revealing that funds allocated for emergency COVID-19 aid in child nutrition programs were misused on a massive scale. Federal indictments have highlighted a nonprofit organization named Feeding Our Future – though its full name appears not given – and related vendors who allegedly claimed to provide meals but diverted millions of dollars.
According to reports, at least $250 million was siphoned through this scheme, with investigators estimating the total welfare fraud network could be worth up to $1 billion. Speaker Demuth specifically mentioned these financial damages as a direct result of weak oversight and a lack of accountability measures during the pandemic-related child nutrition program expansions.
When asked for her assessment on why such extensive fraud occurred despite being aware of its existence, Rep. Ilhan Omar’s explanation was cited by Ms. Demuth but met with skepticism from House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who stated: “I am not buying what was said about why the fraud might have gone unchecked.”
Ms. Demuth elaborated further, stating that the absence of internal controls and inadequate accountability within state agencies, particularly highlighting Gov. Walz’s administration, facilitated this unprecedented level of abuse.
Regarding potential personal involvement by Representative Omar herself in these fraudulent activities, Speaker Demuth acknowledged uncertainty but stressed her concern over systemic failures: “I don’t know whether she is directly involved… what I do know is that relying on hastily assembled programs without sufficient safeguards created fertile ground for such extensive misuse.”
This investigation continues as state agencies await further information from ongoing federal probes into the matter.
