Walz a no-show at key fraud hearing despite being in the building on other business: GOP leader

EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was absent from a state fraud hearing on Tuesday, and the Republican lawmaker leading the hearing believes he was in the building at the time — and the reason for his absence, according to the lawmaker, was the governor’s "arrogance."

"I think he just feels above it all and doesn't need to answer to the people of Minnesota," state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital after Walz was a no-show at the committee’s hearing on Tuesday seeking more answers in the massive fraud scandal that has enveloped the state in recent years.

"The only reason he testified in D.C. is because he was under subpoena. And, you know, he doesn't have to come to our committee. I expected him to. I really did, because Minnesotans are owed an explanation of how billions of our tax dollars could be stolen on his watch."

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Robbins says the committee reached out on March 9 asking Walz to speak at one of several hearings this week, including Tuesday, and that at 6 p.m. on Monday he informed the committee he wasn’t attending.

Walz was scheduled to deliver his final State of the State address in the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday night, leading Robbins to believe he was in the building that afternoon, but still didn’t attend the hearing.

"He was in the building!" Robbins posted on X.

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"I cannot defend his arrogance that he would not come and answer questions for the historic, unprecedented level of fraud in our state and in the country," Robbins told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment. 

Walz delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday night and Robbins reacted to that speech in her interview with Fox News Digital.

"It was ridiculous," Robbins said about Walz's comments on the fraud scandal. "He somewhat said, 'Oh the buck stops with me,' but then he immediately pivoted to blame everyone else."

Walz touted his efforts to crack down on fraud during his speech while claiming that red states have more fraud than blue states and suggesting the legislature needs to do more to adopt his proposal to fight fraud.

"We've created additional checks and balances," Walz said. "We've brought on more investigators, more auditors, more law enforcement agencies, as well as an outside firm to take a look at high-risk programs. People who have ripped us off are getting caught and they are going to jail, just like today."

Walz's reference to "today" was in relation to federal raids carried out across Minneapolis earlier that day, which the governor faced criticism over, including from FBI Director Kash Patel, after he seemingly took credit for actions the federal government says it directed and orchestrated.

Robbins told Fox News Digital Walz's proposals will do "nothing but create more bureaucracy" and said the Republican proposals are more "serious" to actually address the issue.

"He can keep gaslighting people but nobody buys it anymore," Robbins said.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., failed to show up to speak before the same committee earlier this month over questions surrounding her ties to individuals and locations implicated in the Feeding Our Future scandal in Minnesota. 

Omar’s absence prompted Robbins to send a letter to Omar demanding answers to a variety of questions by May 5, Fox News Digital first reported.

Robbins, who is currently running for Minnesota governor, told Fox News Digital the committee has not heard back from Omar’s office as of Tuesday.

"They do have till May 5, so I'm hoping they will. But, you know, they ghosted us all the way up to the hearing, so I don't know if they will respond," Robbins said. "But again, this isn't just because we're the legislature, it's because we are representing the taxpayers who deserve answers from their public officials. And the fact that they don't deign to come and answer questions on the record and just think that they can be above it all, it's really an affront to Minnesotans."