Governor Walz succumbs to fraudulent race-hustlers in $250 million scandal
Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday praised Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the running mate who will “bring unity to this nation.”
However, Walz’s past of ignoring the actions of politically connected criminals suggests he will prioritize Democrats’ special interests instead.
Last week, Walz criticized Republicans for not understanding family values, stating that family values involve providing food for children.
But should politicians be commended for government food programs that end up not feeding anyone?
This brings us to the nation’s biggest COVID-related scam, the $250 million “Feeding the Future” scandal in Minnesota.
The Minneapolis nonprofit received millions from the US Department of Agriculture to distribute food during the pandemic, but prosecutors discovered that most of the money was misused.
The fraudulent program came to light in late 2022 with Justice Department indictments, revealing that Walz and his administration favored politically connected nonprofit groups while ignoring warnings of fraud and failing to verify the charity’s activities adequately.
Most of the individuals involved in the fraud were part of Minnesota’s Somali community, a key voting group for Walz’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Following the 2020 election, Minnesota’s Somalis, represented by Rep. Ilhan Omar, were recognized for their political engagement, as they played a role in preventing former President Donald Trump from winning the state.
The Justice Department has charged 72 politically connected Minnesotans with stealing $250 million from federal child-nutrition programs during the pandemic, resulting in five convictions by a jury and 18 guilty pleas.
These individuals didn’t just misuse funds; they used the money to purchase real estate, cars, and luxury items instead of feeding children, as FBI agent Travis Wilmer revealed.
Some of the embezzled money found its way into the pockets of Omar, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and other Democratic politicians.
The state Department of Education under Walz’s oversight allowed for fraud to occur due to inadequate oversight, as a Minnesota legislative audit highlighted.
Even a basic review would have uncovered the scheme that was being operated.
Public funds were stolen with the use of fake recipients listed on a random name generator website.
Children, with names like “Unique Problem” and “Friday Donations,” were falsely listed as beneficiaries of the program.
One establishment claimed to be serving meals to more children than were enrolled in all the schools in Minneapolis, but the Walz administration failed to verify this information.
FBI analyst Pauline Roase testified that some individuals formed companies to conceal the fact they were not actually buying food.
As early as November 2020, state officials recognized the fraudulent activities and attempted to stop funding for Feeding Our Future.
The organization retaliated with a lawsuit, claiming discrimination for working with racial minorities, while supporters protested at the Minnesota Department of Education headquarters, asserting that the fraud continued.
According to Bill Glahn of the Center for the American Experiment, Walz feared the accusations of racism.
In July 2021, Walz honored Ayan Abukar with the Outstanding Refugee Award, who was later indicted for bribery, money laundering, and other offenses linked to Feeding Our Future.
His administration largely ignored the scandal until FBI raids in early 2022 garnered national attention.
Despite the scandal unfolding, some involved still believed they were above the law, attempting to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash during a federal trial.
Five individuals have been arrested in connection to the bribery scheme, with one admitting guilt.
Walz, however, denies any wrongdoing on his part.
“I’m angry about these criminals who did this,” he stated in September 2022, absolving himself of any responsibility.
Following the first convictions, Walz claimed no state employee had engaged in illegal activities: “There’s not a single state employee that was implicated in doing anything that was illegal.”
“We can always do better,” he expressed disregarding the scandal.
The Feeding Our Future scandal could serve as a model for a Harris-Walz administration that aligns with identity politics and offers protection to well-connected wrongdoers, reminiscent of the immunity granted to individuals like Hunter Biden.
James Bovard’s latest book is “Last Rights: The Death of American Liberty.”
