On Friday, CNN reported that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), a 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, “was a leader who would not say anything about holding people accountable for misconduct or mismanagement that occurred under his watch.” reported that his office acknowledged the knowledge of state authorities. He disputed the state auditor's findings, accusing state agencies under his administration of downplaying or dismissing allegations of fraud.
On CNN's “Outfront” broadcast on Friday, CNN senior investigative correspondent Kyon Rah said, “During Walz's six years as governor, there were at least 16 people criticizing specific state agencies for tolerating fraud, waste, or mismanagement. A report was released by the independent auditor of the state of Minnesota.” ”
She also pointed to the U.S. Department of Justice. characteristic Pointing out the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as “the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country,” report Regarding the failures of the Minnesota Department of Education, the state auditor said the agency “created opportunities for fraud.” … The department failed to act on warning signs it was aware of before the COVID-19 pandemic began and before the alleged fraud began. [And] [d]We have not effectively exercised our authority to hold Feeding Our Future accountable for program requirements. ”
“A spokesperson for Governor Walz told CNN that state agencies have been implementing recommendations from the state auditor, but sometimes disagree with the auditor's findings,” Rahr wrote at the end of the report. “We are constantly evaluating ways to eliminate fraud and improve government programs.''[.]The spokesperson also added that the Walz administration has spent millions of dollars to increase oversight of the Department of Education and add staff to root out bad actors.
accompanying article CNN's site has a headline that reads, “Accountability is lacking as fraud scandal erupts in Minnesota on Gov. Tim Walz's watch,” adding, “In the face of these troubling examples of waste and fraud,…[,] Some state officials operating under Democratic Gov. Tim Walz's administration repeatedly downplayed or dismissed the allegations, Judy Randall, the state's nonpartisan auditor, told CNN. CNN's investigation into the audit and its response, and interviews with politicians and experts across the state, found that Walz has no interest in holding accountability for the wrongdoing and mismanagement that occurred on his watch. , it turned out that he was a leader who never intervened. Additionally, some state agencies led by his appointees have responded defensively to audits in recent months, a dynamic that Randall, who has worked at the department for 26 years, found surprising. ”
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