House Republicans have turned up the heat on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate, over how his administration handled taxpayer money during the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by Fox News.

This scrutiny comes from the House Education and Workforce Committee, which has subpoenaed Walz regarding a staggering $250 million fraud linked to a Minnesota-based nonprofit, Feeding Our Future.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) accused the group of exploiting a federally funded child nutrition program during the pandemic.

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Feeding Our Future was caught falsifying records to claim non-existent children were fed, with fake invoices to back up their fraudulent food purchases. A total of 70 people were charged in connection to this scheme, and five have already been convicted.

Virginia Foxx, the committee’s chair, didn’t mince words in her letter accompanying Walz’s subpoena: “As the chief executive and the highest-ranking official in the state of Minnesota, you are responsible for the [Minnesota Department of Education] and its administration of [Federal Child Nutrition Programs].”

Time for answers. https://t.co/Ivf3v1YOGz

— Virginia Foxx (@virginiafoxx) September 4, 2024

Foxx further asserted that Walz and his team either knew about or were involved in the Minnesota Department of Education’s oversight of this fraudulent activity.

Along with Walz, subpoenas were sent to Minnesota’s Commissioner of Education, Willie Jett, and Biden’s Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, aiming to get to the bottom of the matter.

Unsurprisingly, a spokesperson for Walz had a polished response, stating, “This was an appalling abuse of a federal COVID-era program. The state department of education worked diligently to stop the fraud, and we’re grateful to the FBI for working with the department of education to arrest and charge the individuals involved.”

It’s always nice when politicians thank others for cleaning up their mess.

Reports indicate that Walz’s administration was forced to take some action after the fraud came to light.

Local reporting by the Sahan Journal indicates that in April 2021, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) contacted the FBI about suspected fraud. However, the very next month, MDE resumed funding to 26 nonprofits working with Feeding Our Future, even though they rejected new applications from the group.

Republicans are ramping up their scrutiny of Walz, especially after he was named Harris’ running mate. House Republicans have not only focused on this fraud but have also opened an investigation into Walz’s potential connections to China.

The Harris-Walz campaign was contacted for comment, but there has been no response from their team as of yet.