Emmer slams Walz, demands accountability over alleged retaliation tied to Minnesota fraud

A Minnesota congressman demanded answers and accountability from Gov. Tim Walz regarding the reported billion-dollar fraud scandal burdening his state, lambasting alleged retaliation against whistleblowers.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News’ Bill Hemmer that Walz “has done nothing” to take responsibility for suspected fraudsters on “America’s Newsroom” on Wednesday. He suggested that “an investigation into criminal charges” may be warranted if allegations of retaliation prove true.

“This isn’t just negligent incompetence, Bill. Somebody is complicit in this… alleged whistleblowers… are claiming that they let the governor know and that he not only ignored them, he actually retaliated against them,” Emmer said.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has taken fire for a massive fraud scandal uncovered in his state. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“If that’s true, Bill, there probably should be an investigation into criminal charges. This governor, the attorney general… it stinks to high heaven,” the congressman continued.

Emmer, the House Majority Whip, also claimed that fraud proceeds were being sent to Somalia, where he said the terrorist organization al-Shabab controls the financial infrastructure.

“They’re sending the money back to Somalia, Bill. People should understand that al-Shabab controls the financial infrastructure in Somalia. It is going back to Somalia where al-Shabab, the terrorist organization, is in charge,” he said.

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U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer speaks to reporters during a news conference after a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill on December 02, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Treasury Department has already launched an investigation into these allegations, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Monday on X.

Walz, in remarks played during the segment, said, “You commit fraud in Minnesota, you’re going to prison. I don’t care what color you are, what religion you are.”

“But, sitting on the sidelines and throwing out accusations, and let’s be very clear, demonizing an entire population and lying to people about the safety and security of this state is beneath that,” he continued.

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Emmer insisted that “calling out criminal activity… is not racist and it’s not unfair.” He called Walz a liar and said that “alleged whistleblowers out there” claimed they were retaliated against for reporting fraud to the governor.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sits for an interview in his office at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Dec. 12, 2024. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

An X account claiming to represent more than 480 Minnesota Department of Human Services staff wrote Saturday, “Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota… Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports.”

Emmer’s rebuke of Walz comes after the House Oversight Committee opened a probe into the governor’s handling of a pandemic food-aid program in Minnesota.

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Emmer blamed Walz for the state’s fraud crisis, while federal prosecutor Joe Thompson has described the failures as broader breakdowns across state leadership.

“This fraud crisis didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s the result of widespread failure across nearly every level of leadership in Minnesota… This isn’t just a few criminals exploiting the system, this is a system that’s been begging to be exploited,” Hemmer read from a July statement by Thompson.