A blue state’s lack of oversight led to massive fraud and the loss of $250 million in taxpayer dollars from a federally funded food aid program, an egregious example of government waste that was uncovered by auditors and led to dozens of convictions.
For context, a report on the Minnesota Department of Education released by a government auditor revealed that the state’s “Feeding Our Future” program had been rife with fraud, with a reported 70 people being charged in federal court for allegedly taking part in a scheme that exploited the program for tens of millions of dollars. In response, the state’s Education Commissioner attempted to shift the responsibility for the scandal solely onto the criminals behind it to dodge criticism of Gov. Tim Walz’s administration.
Press accounts confirmed that, according to the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor, which released the report, Minnesota’s Department of Education ailed to act on warning signs known to the department prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and prior to the start of the alleged fraud, did not effectively exercise its authority to hold Feeding Our Future accountable to program requirements, and was ill-prepared to respond to the issues it encountered with Feeding Our Future.”
In response to the scandal, Education Commissioner Willie L. Jett II defended the Minnesota Education Department’s oversight, saying that his agency “met applicable standards” for oversight and adding that department officials had “made effective referrals to law enforcement” when they thought that something was amiss. In addition, the commissioner called the scandal “a travesty.”
Moreover, still trying to defend the blue state’s integrity, Jett said that the scandal was “a coordinated, brazen abuse of nutrition programs that exist to ensure access to healthy meals for low-income children.” Shifting the blame, he added, “The responsibility for this flagrant fraud lies with the indicted and convicted fraudsters.”
However, while Jett placed the blame solely on those behind the fraud, Minnesota State Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) placed the blame on Gov. Tim Walz, saying, “This is stunning. The Department of Education and Gov. Walz have repeatedly tried to tell the public that they did all they could … but this report clearly demonstrates that was a false narrative.”
In addition, Sen. Ann Rest of New Hope, Minnesota, a Democrat, also criticized the Walz administration, saying, “Those commissioners had the authority, as was pointed out in this report by the legislative auditor, and they clearly did not exercise it to discover and to report fraud.” She added, “We do not hear of … similar programs using federal money to feed students in other states that experienced such fraud.”
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Moreover, on March 7, 2025, the depth of the scandal grew when one of the men involved in the scandal pleaded guilty to wire fraud after also being accused of witness tampering after attempting to intimidate a witness, which led to a prison sentence, millions in restitution, and the forfeit of a Range Rover bought with money obtained via fraud.
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