Minnesota nonprofit accused of $250M COVID fraud scheme; GOP subpoenas Tim Walz for information.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 running mate, received a subpoena from House Republicans over his administration's management of taxpayer funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The subpoenas issued by the House Education and Workforce Committee are focused on a $250 million fraud scheme by a Minnesota-based nonprofit, Feeding Our Future, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) previously accused of exploiting a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allegations were made against Feeding Our Future for defrauding a federal program aimed at feeding hungry children by fabricating attendance records with the names and ages of non-existent children and inflating invoices to show food purchases for those children.

Five individuals have been convicted for their involvement in a scheme that led to the charges of at least 70 people.

As the head of the Minnesota Department of Education and the highest-ranking official in the state, you are responsible for overseeing the administration of Federal Child Nutrition Programs, according to a letter from Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who accompanied Walz's subpoena.

According to Foxx, your press statements and those of your representatives suggest that you and other executive officers were involved or had knowledge of MDE's administration of the FCNP and its responsibilities and actions regarding the massive fraud.

Besides Walz, Foxx also issued subpoenas to Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett and Biden administration Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

The state department of education worked hard to stop the fraud and is grateful to the FBI for collaborating with them to apprehend and charge the individuals involved, according to a spokeswoman for Walz.

The Sahan Journal reported that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) contacted the FBI about suspected fraud by a nonprofit in April 2021, according to past local reporting indicating that Walz's administration took steps to investigate and account for the massive fraud scheme.

The MDE resumed funding to 26 nonprofits working with Feeding Our Future, but rejected applications from the group for new food sites.

Since being named Democrats' vice presidential candidate last month, Walz's administration and personal past have been intensely scrutinized by House Republicans.

An investigation into Walz's ties to China was previously launched by the House Oversight Committee.

Planet Chronicle Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign for comment.