U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer has escalated a Minnesota welfare fraud controversy by publicly calling for possible criminal prosecution of Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison—if it’s proven they knowingly ignored warnings. Emmer claims the state’s political leadership crossed a line by failing to act on evidence of large-scale fraud, potentially involving billions in taxpayer funds.

According to whistleblowers, senior officials were alerted to serious problems across multiple programs, including child nutrition, childcare assistance, housing stabilization, and autism services. Emmer argues this wasn’t just bureaucratic failure, but a pattern of inaction despite repeated red flags. Estimates cited by investigators suggest combined federal and state losses could reach into the billions, though those figures remain under scrutiny.

The Feeding Our Future case—where at least $250 million was allegedly stolen and dozens have already been convicted or pleaded guilty—is now being described as only part of a much larger problem. Authorities are examining 14 state-run programs, with prosecutors suggesting a significant portion of spending since 2018 may have been fraudulent.

Emmer has pointed to the role of independent journalists who uncovered inactive, publicly funded childcare centers, arguing that outsiders identified issues in days that the government either missed for years—or failed to pursue. State officials deny wrongdoing, but the controversy has shifted the debate from oversight failures to potential personal accountability at the highest levels.