WATCH: “Why Didn’t You Tell the Truth?” – Rep. Jim Jordan Tears Into Tim Walz for Lying and Allowing Somalis to Commit Fraud for Their Votes
Rep. Jim Jordan tore into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday during a House Oversight Committee hearing, catching him in multiple lies as he attempted to deflect blame for his involvement in one of the Somali fraud schemes in Minnesota.
Jordan pressed Walz on the Feeding Our Future fraud. This is another $250 million COVID fraud scheme, which the Department of Justice described as the largest “in the country.”
At least 79 defendants have been federally charged in the scandal, which Walz and Ellison allowed to operate in their state as they seemingly received kickbacks.
One of the conspirators has even named Walz, claiming that he and Attorney General Keith Ellison knew about the scheme before the feds opened an investigation. Meanwhile, Walz claims he had no idea this was going on.
But Walz got caught lying, first by a judge in 2022, after he claimed the judge had ordered the state of Minnesota to resume payments to the program that had been suspended due to “serious deficiencies.” Walz told the press that the payments were halted due to fraud concerns but ordered to be resumed by Ramsey County District Court Judge John H. Guthmann, prompting the court to issue an unprecedented press release debunking his lie.
“As the public court record and Judge Guthmann’s orders make plain, Judge Guthmann never issued an order requiring the MN Department of Education to resume food reimbursement payments to FOF. The Department of Education voluntarily resumed payments and informed the court that FOF resolved the “serious deficiencies” that prompted it to suspend payments temporarily,” the Minnesota court said in a scathing press release.
However, when pressed on his past lie about the funding, Walz testified, “My understanding was the agency believed that the court had required them to make those payments.” He continued to feign ignorance and deny the Judge’s claims as Jim Jordan grilled him on the obvious lie.
Jordan continued his questioning of Walz by referencing Kayseh Magan, a former fraud investigator with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, who told the New York Times earlier this year, “There is a perception that forcefully tackling this issue might cause political backlash among the Somali community, which is a core voting bloc” for Democrats.
But Walz told the Congressman, “I don’t know who Kayseh Magan is.” He went on to deny Magan’s claim that the decision not to stop the fraud is political, and Jim Jordan eviscerated him.
“85% of people indicted were Somali American, a key voting bloc, and I think that is what drove this whole thing,” Jordan said after grilling Walz.
WATCH:
Transcript:
Jordan: Governor, why didn’t you tell the truth? Why didn’t you just tell the truth about the feeding Our Future program? This program, to my understanding, received $3 million the first year. Within a couple years, it was getting $200 million of taxpayer money. Whistleblowers raised concerns, as the Chairman said, auditors raised concerns, everybody raised concerns. March 30, 2021, the payments are stopped., and a little over a month later, the payments are restarted. Why didn’t you tell the truth about why you restarted the payments?
Walz: Well, Chairman, we did tell you, and Feeding Our Future grew because of the pandemic, and—
Jordan: I didn’t ask that question. I said, why didn’t you tell the truth about why you restarted the payments? The payments stopped because there were concerns, obviously, or you wouldn’t stop the payments, then they restarted a month later. What was the reason for restarting the payments?
Walz: My understanding was the agency believed that the court had required them to make those payments.
Jordan: And that was false, wasn’t it? You repeqated that. You said that, didn’t you? You said the reason you restarted is because the court ordered you to do so. Is that right?
Walz: I don’t believe that is settled yet, to the best of my knowledge.
Jordan: Well, I think it is because the court did something that I just don’t— I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it. They issued a statement, saying you were wrong in what you were saying. This is from the court. It says, Feeding Our Future versus Minnesota Department of Education, correcting reports and statements by Governor Tim Walz, concerning orders issued by the court. Here’s what the judge says: Governor Tim Walz told the media that the Minnesota Department of Education attempted to end payments to FOF because of possible fraud, but that Judge Guthmann ordered payments to continue in April 2021. Next sentence: That is false. So, you said something that wasn’t true. He further states this– Judge Guthmann, the court says this: Judge Guthmann never ordered the Department of Education to resume payments to Feeding Our Future in April 2021 or at any other time. So, I want to know, why didn’t you tell the truth?
Walz: Congressman, the attorneys at the Department of Education interpreted that differently. Both of those judges are no longer on the bench, and—
Jordan: Let me just read the very first sentence, the first seven words. This is not some unnamed source, talking to the New York Times. It’s not some anonymous source, talking to whatever your Minnesota Star Tribune or whatever your paper is. This is the court speaking. First sentence, first seven words: due to inaccurate statements by the governor, Ramsey County District Court Judge has issued and authorized that this following news released. That’s pretty straightforward. So the court’s lying?
Walz: I can’t tell you, Congressman, but the interpretation–
Jordan: Somebody’s lying, somebody’s lying, because you can’t say the court ordered you to restart the payments, and then the court says we didn’t order you to restart the payments. So, either you’re lying or the court’s lying. And I’m just asking you, which one is it?
Walz: I just simply know what the attorneys at the agency believed that It is a misinterpretation, and I would note–
Jordan: Could it be you were trying to hide behind the court, Governor? Could that maybe be the reason why you issued the statements you did, and why the court had to do something you never see done before? They issued of press statement saying you’re wrong, the governor is wrong. His statement is, their words not mine, false. Could that be the reason?
Walz: That was not the interpretation of the attorneys and you know how court orders work. You can appeal those, congressmen, as you well know. I’m sure–
Jordan: Was it all about politics, Governor?
Walz: No, it’s cert– it’s about taking care of our people.
Jordan: Yet, these programs go from 3 million– the Behavior Intervention program went from $3 million to $400 million in five years. The housing stabilization went from $2.6 million to $104 million. The integrated community supports went from $4.6 million to $170 million in three years. This is unbelievable what’s happening, and you’re trying to hide behind some pretend court order, some court order that didn’t exist. Governor, who’s Kayseh Magan?
Walz: I don’t know who Kayseh Magan is.
Jordan: Well, I’ll tell you. Mr. Magan is a Somali American and a fraud investigator in the guy beside you’s office, in the Attorney General’s Office, and here’s what he said: There was a perception that forcefully tackling this issue might cause political backlash among the Somali community, which is a core voting bloc. Did that have anything to do with this whole fraud scheme that went on in your state, Governor?
Walz: It did not, Congressman.
Jordan: It did not? So, now you’re saying, Mr. Kayseh Magan is a liar, is lying too?
Walz: I’m not–
Jordan: You’re the only one telling the truth in the whole state. Mr. Magan, who’s a fraud investigator at the Attorney General’s Office says it’s politics. The court says—
Walz: I couldn’t speak for Mr. Magan. You asked me a question. And I said no when you asked me the question.
Jordan: I’m saying Kayseh Magan said, just the opposite. So, the court’s wrong, and Kayseh Magan’s wrong. You’re the only guy that’s right. How many people have been indicted in your state right now? Do you know, Governor?
Walz: I don’t have those numbers with me.
Jordan: You don’t? 98 people have been indicted. Do you happen to know how many are Somali American?
Walz: I don’t— We don’t investigate or prosecute people based on ethnicity.
Jordan: Neither do I. We shouldn’t do that. But Mr. Magan is a Somali American, who just said that the core— one of the concerns was this is a core voting block, and I just want to know if you know, how many of the 98 people who have been indicted in your state are Somali.
Walz: I don’t. Their ethnicity is not my concern.
Jordan: 85. 85% of people indicted were Somali American, a key voting bloc, and I think that is what drove this whole thing.
Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison are currently testifying before the House Oversight Committee on the massive welfare fraud. Watch live here:
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