Minnesota GOP lawmakers demand Tim Walz resign over fraud scandal: 'It has gone on long enough'

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Several Republican lawmakers in Minnesota are publicly calling on Democratic Gov Tim Walz to resign amid an ongoing and expanding fraud scandal that they say has worsened under his leadership.

The lawmakers cited the state’s Constitution as part of their reasoning and criticized Walz’s handling of fraud that they claim has cost taxpayers billions. The call comes as scrutiny over the crisis continues to mount.

GOP lawmakers’ statement and Constitutional basis

Several Republican state lawmakers in Minnesota issued a statement on Monday, December 29, urging Gov. Tim Walz to step down in light of what they describe as a worsening fraud crisis under his administration.

Minnesota state Senators Bill Lieske and Nathan Wesenberg, along with state Representatives Marj Fogelman, Drew Roach and Mike Wiener, said in the press release that “Minnesotans have been watching the fraud crisis get worse and worse for years. It has gone on long enough.”

They emphasized that their call was not intended as a political stunt, saying, “This is not about politics or stunts, and we do not make a call like this lightly. The office of the governor deserves respect, and we have tried to give Gov Walz time to act.”

The group referenced Article 8, Section 6 of the Minnesota Constitution, which they say lists serious malfeasance in the performance of official duties as grounds for recalling executive and interior officers.

While they cited this constitutional provision to support their concerns about Walz’s leadership, they stopped short of initiating an official recall effort.

In their statement, the lawmakers said leadership means 'doing the right thing even when it is difficult,' and that this is why they are calling on Walz to resign.

They pointed to what they described as 'billions of dollars in fraud that should have gone to vulnerable Minnesotans,' noting that red flags appeared 'everywhere' yet 'year after year, the fraud kept growing, and year after year, nothing changed.'

Details of the alleged fraud scandal under Tim Walz

The fraud scandal referenced in the GOP lawmakers’ statement has drawn significant attention in recent weeks. Federal prosecutors earlier revealed that fraud in Minnesota, largely within the state’s Somali community, could cost taxpayers as much as $9 billion.

The call for Walz to resign came shortly after a viral video posted by independent journalist Nick Shirley was seen more than 100 million times on X. The video reportedly highlighted suspected fraudulent daycare locations, prompting heightened scrutiny of Walz and his administration’s oversight.

Responding to criticism, Walz’s office said the governor 'has worked for years to crack down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action.'

According to the spokesperson, Walz has strengthened oversight by launching investigations into specific facilities with 'one of which was already closed.'

The governor’s office also said Walz has 'hired an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program entirely, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.'

Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon has joined calls for his resignation, and the GOP lawmakers said the fraud scandal is 'the number one' concern they hear from constituents, along with questions about why no one in authority has yet been held accountable.