Minnesota Dems unite to block Walz, Ellison impeachment push, sparking online outrage: 'They're panicking'
Conservatives on social media erupted with outrage Thursday after Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota united to block a Republican effort to investigate further and impeach Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
A resolution taken up by the Minnesota House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee to launch an impeachment investigation and allow the committee to hold hearings, issue subpoenas and further investigate the massive fraud scandal was blocked after all eight Democrats on the committee voted against it, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported.
The lawmakers deadlocked 8-8 on a straight party-line vote.
"This is a fundamentally unserious proposal by a fundamentally unserious party who isn't interested in governing," Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) Rep. Michael Howard said about the move.
COMER TO SAY TIM WALZ 'ENABLED FRAUD,' FAILED WHISTLEBLOWERS IN BOMBSHELL MINNESOTA HEARING
"Gas prices are rising because of Trump's illegal war in Iran. Health care, housing and childcare costs are spiking. We have hospitals closing, yet this is what we're going to do today? A bill that's absolutely going nowhere, dead on arrival."
On social media, conservatives blasted the Minnesota Democrats for not taking seriously the unfolding fraud scandal, which is estimated to have cost taxpayers a total of up to $19 billion.
"Despite years of whistleblower reports, dozens of hearings & local news stories, & court convictions, Democrats CONTINUE to block any investigation of Tim Walz," Minnesota House Fraud Committee Chair Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Minn., who is running for governor, posted on X.
"They protect each other to protect their political base. @amyklobuchar is just part of the protection racket."
"Minnesotans lost $9B in taxpayer dollars to just 14 Medicaid programs under Tim Walz’s administration," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. "Today, every single Democrat in Rules Committee voted to block an investigation into that fraud. Absolutely disgusting."
"Look at their campaign contributions," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., posted on X.
"They're panicked and don't want anyone finding out how this was allowed to happen," conservative influencer Eric Daugherty posted on X. "REMOVE WALZ FROM OFFICE and start the criminal proceedings for complicity!"
"You don't block investigations into fraud unless you're benefiting from the fraud," conservative commentator Shawn Farash posted on X.
"When one party does not want accountability or transparency, When one party knows that massive fraud exist but refuses to investigate that fraud, the people must stand up and demand they be held accountable," Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker who is running for Congress as a Republican in Arizona, posted on X.
AUDIO OF ELLISON MEETING WITH CONVICTED FRAUDSTERS RESURFACES AS LAWYER ALLEGES WALZ, AG SHARE BLAME
"This is why all spending and every program at the federal level and state level should be on Blockchain for everyone to see."
Fox News Digital reached out to Democratic leadership on the committee for comment.
Walz dropped his bid for re-election in January as pressure to address systemic fraud mounted. He testified in front of Congress months later along with Ellison in a fiery hearing that left conservatives unsatisfied over the answer to the question of what the two elected officials knew about the fraud and what they did to stop it.
Walz has rebuffed calls for him to resign, prompting Minnesota Republicans to take various actions to further investigate or impeach him.
Impeaching or removing either Walz or Ellison would be a difficult uphill battle for Republican lawmakers in Minnesota given the current makeup of the Minnesota Legislature. Impeachment requires a simple majority vote in the House.
However, the House is evenly split, making it nearly impossible for Republicans to pass articles of impeachment without significant Democratic defections or a major shift in control.
Removing an official from office requires a two-thirds supermajority vote in the Senate, where the DFL holds a narrow one-seat majority.