House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer claimed on Fox News that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison ignored reports of fraud involving federal nutrition aid and Medicare billing, and retaliated aaginst the whistleblowers who raised the alarms. The allegations, detailed in a committee report, have been forwarded to the Department of Justice via Vice President Kamala Harris’s fraud task force.

Comer's claim of $300 million nutrition fraud in Minnesota

Comer told host Sean Hannity that his staff uncovered evidence that the state lost roughly $300 million in federal nutrrition funds meant for children during the COVID‑19 pandemic.. He said the figure comes from nine career government employees who followed internal reporting channels to both the governor’s office and the attorney general’s office. According to the report, those officials allegedly dismissed the complaints and, in some instances, punished the whistleblowers.

Alleged $9 billion Medicare billing scheme

The committee’s findings also cite a potential $9 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims tied to Minnesota providers. Comer emphasized that the amount would dwarf Kentucky’s entire general fund budget, underscoring the scale of the purported abuse.. The source matrial does not provide a breakdown of how the $9 billion figure was calculated, and no independent audit has confirmed the claim.

Comer says political calculus protected a Somali voting bloc

Comer argued that Walz and Ellison hesitated to act because they feared alienating a large Somali voting bloc that traditionally supports Democratic candidates in the state. He suggested that accusations of racism or partisan attacks were used to deflect scrutiny when whistleblowers raised concerns. Both Minnesota officials have denied any wrongdoing and have not commented on the specific political motive alleged by Comer.

DOJ referral and Vice President Harris’s task force

After the committee completed its investigation, Comer said the report was sent to Vice President Kamala Harris, who leads a federal fraud task force in Minnesota. Harris’s team reportedly referred the matter to the Department of Justice for further review. As of this writing, the DOJ has not issued a public statement on the referral, and no formal charges have been announced.

What evidence supports the $9 billion claim?

The report cites testimony from whistleblowers but provides no publicly released documentation or audit findings to substantiate the $9 billion Medicare figure. Additionally , the claim that the governor and attorney general retaliated against employees relies on the whistleblowers’ accounts, which have not been independently verified. These gaps leave key aspects of Comer’s accusations unproven .