Walz Accepts Blame for $9 Billion Fraud as Minnesota Republicans Tie It to His Legacy
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 28
Walz Accepts Blame for $9 Billion Fraud as Minnesota Republicans Tie It to His Legacy
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 28
Summary
Tim Walz said in a Minnesota Star-Tribune “exit interview” that he should have stopped state fraud sooner, accepted accountability and argued the scandal should not define his record before he leaves office in January.
The outgoing governor also said the fraud’s true cost may be overstated, despite federal prosecutors’ $9 billion estimate, and compared it with a roughly $300 million White House ballroom project to argue for perspective.
Three Minnesota Republicans — Julia Coleman, Lisa Demuth and Kristin Robbins — said the remarks reinforced, rather than softened, Walz’s legacy problem, accusing him of enabling rampant fraud and failing to act aggressively enough while still in office.
Demuth, the Republican House speaker running for governor against Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November, used the episode to link Klobuchar to Walz’s record and cast the fraud issue as a campaign liability.
The backlash adds to broader scrutiny of Walz’s tenure, which has already drawn criticism over a controversial pardon and oversight of state agencies as he prepares to step down.