Several U.S. senators, including Jon Husted of Ohio, have sent a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressing concerns over the management of federal funds in the state’s social services programs.
In their letter, the senators stated, “The state’s apparent negligent management of federal funds raises significant concerns about the adequacy of the state’s oversight, verification and compliance systems for safeguarding taxpayer dollars intended to support vulnerable children and working families. Unfortunately, these latest reports appear to reflect only the tip of the iceberg.”
The correspondence comes amid ongoing federal investigations into alleged large-scale fraud involving Minnesota’s social service programs. According to authorities cited by the senators, billions of dollars in federal funding for child care, nutrition, Medicaid, and housing assistance may have been misappropriated since 2018. The letter references the “Feeding Our Future” case as an example, where more than 50 individuals were convicted for diverting hundreds of millions in pandemic relief funds that were meant for school meals.
The senators also noted actions taken under President Trump’s administration: “Under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has acted promptly to freeze child care payments to Minnesota pending verification and audits of how funds were used. The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, and the Senate is exercising its role to ensure proper stewardship of federal taxpayer dollars for child care programs, and we take this responsibility very seriously,” they wrote.
The full text of their letter is available online.
