By Alex Johnson | Tuesday, 30 December 2025
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty sharply criticized the state’s current leadership during recent remarks, calling an ongoing fraud scandal a “debacle” driven by years of ignored warnings and reckless mismanagement.
Pawlenty said what was once known as “Minnesota Nice” has become “Minnesota incompetence,” arguing that Gov. Tim Walz bears responsibility as the state’s chief executive. While Pawlenty stated he does not believe Walz should resign, citing concerns about the lieutenant governor succeeding him, he expressed hope that Walz reconsiders his bid for a third term.
The former governor pointed to repeated warnings from nonpartisan legislative auditors dating back to 2017 and 2018, along with whistleblower reports and internal emails, as evidence that problems were known within the administration for years.
Pawlenty also disputed Walz’s assertion that he lacks sufficient authority to address the situation, stating the governor already has the legal power to implement stronger oversight and financial controls.
“We can’t just put more money into Minnesota without doing a bunch of investigations and reviews and maybe holdbacks,” Pawlenty said. “And it’s another consequence of this very unfortunate situation.”
According to Pawlenty, federal investigators believe the fraud could reach as much as $9 billion, with probes expanding to examine where the money went, including possible political contributions and overseas transfers.
He cited polling showing nearly 70% of Minnesotans believe the administration failed to prevent the fraud, noting public anger is widespread.
“This is a major political and policy earthquake in my state,” Pawlenty said.
