Minnesota Fraud

Republicans in the Minnesota House have been trying to force a vote on a bill that creates a new inspector general to oversee public programs.

The package has 18 proposals, including prohibiting legislators from making direct appropriations to nonprofits and establishing a centralized Office of Inspector General.

Gov. Tim Walz describes the move as a "campaign of retribution."

Tim O'Malley said in a Feb. 23, 2026, news conference that lawmakers and administrations were made aware of vulnerabilities in the state's social safety net since the 1970s.

In December 2025, federal prosecutors announced new charges in a widespread Medicaid fraud investigation, leading to new political turmoil about who was at fault and what should be done.

The Department of Human Services plans to "revalidate" 5,800 providers of Medicaid services deemed high risk for fraud, waste and abuse.

The exodus follows reports that the U.S. Department of Justice was scrutinizing the political activity of the woman killed last Wednesday by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.