{"id":2571839,"date":"2026-02-20T09:24:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-republicans-launch-freedom-caucus-to-tackle-minnesotas-fraud-plagued-government\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T09:29:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:29:10","slug":"exclusive-republicans-launch-freedom-caucus-to-tackle-minnesotas-fraud-plagued-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-republicans-launch-freedom-caucus-to-tackle-minnesotas-fraud-plagued-government\/","title":{"rendered":"GOPers Launch Freedom Caucus To Tackle MN&#8217;s Fraud Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexclusive-republicans-launch-freedom-caucus-to-tackle-minnesotas-fraud-plagued-government%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2571839&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A group of Minnesota Republican lawmakers is preparing to launch the state&#8217;s first Freedom Caucus next week, making Minnesota the 15th state to form such a body. the seven-member Minnesota Freedom Caucus, chaired by Sen. Eric Lucero, aims to curb government growth and spending and challenge what they see as ongoing constitutional violations and state scandals. They cite issues from the Covid era, welfare and other \u201cmisuse\u201d of taxpayer dollars, and Minnesota\u2019s sanctuary-state policies as reasons for a new push to restore constitutional principles, with election integrity and reform of the omnibus budgeting process as top priorities. They back efforts to require voter ID and proof of citizenship through national legislation like the SAVE America Act, arguing that lax election practices threaten elections. Though their power is limited by a divided legislature and Democratic control of the Senate and governor\u2019s office, the caucus intends to disrupt the status quo and attract national support through the State Freedom Caucus Network, which will provide resources and coordination. The group is slated to officially kick off with a Monday press conference at the Minnesota State capitol.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A group of Minnesota Republican lawmakers is preparing to launch the state&rsquo;s first-ever freedom caucus next week, The Federalist has learned. The revelation comes a week after a coalition of West Virginia Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/02\/12\/wv-lawmakers-launch-freedom-caucus-to-take-on-undocumented-democrats-in-the-gop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">created<\/a> their own freedom caucus and makes Minnesota the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statefreedomcaucus.org\/#close\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">15th state<\/a> to form such a body.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The path to restoring Minnesota to the once great state that it was is [by] returning to the Constitution and the founding principles of our republic. That&rsquo;s why this [freedom caucus] is needed,&rdquo; Minnesota Freedom Caucus Chair (MNFC) and GOP Sen. Eric Lucero told The Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>Set to officially launch on Monday, the seven-member MNFC is seeking to put a stop to the &ldquo;continued growth of government, both in spending and in the encroachment into people&rsquo;s lives,&rdquo; according to Lucero. The Republican lawmaker said such trends have remained persistent problems across both parties throughout the 12 years he&rsquo;s served in the state legislature. He also pointed to numerous scandals plaguing the North Star State in recent years that have gone unaccounted for.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Before Covid, we had George Floyd. We had Gov. [Tim] Walz through Covid. We have had the billions and billions of dollars of fraud. All of these things have been occurring in Minnesota,&rdquo; Lucero said. &ldquo;These strain[s] and direct violations of the Constitution are why a Minnesota Freedom Caucus is needed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s no secret that Minnesota has had <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >major money mismanagement issues<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/14\/its-not-a-minnesota-problem-its-a-blue-state-problem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Massive fraud scandals<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/fraud\/\">involving<\/a> welfare and other social services programs (particularly among Minnesota&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/12\/03\/scamming-somalis-are-the-love-children-of-dems-mass-welfare-and-immigration-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Somali population<\/a>) have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-mayoral-runoff-paul-vallas-brandon-johnson-make-final-push-as-voters-head-to-polls\/\" title=\"Chicago Mayoral Runoff: Paul Vallas, Brandon Johnson Make Final Push as Voters Head to Polls\">drawn nationwide attention<\/a> to the state&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/release\/hearing-wrap-up-minnesota-governor-walz-and-attorney-general-ellison-ignored-rampant-taxpayer-fraud-and-silenced-state-whistleblowers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gross misuse<\/a> of taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Tackling both parties&rsquo; &ldquo;habitual abuse&rdquo; of the omnibus spending process &mdash; in which &ldquo;hundreds and hundreds of individual bills are packed into a handful of super omnibus bills&rdquo; &mdash; will be among the chief priorities for the MNFC, according to Lucero. The MNFC chair noted that confronting election integrity issues will also be a top agenda item &mdash; specifically when it comes to Minnesota&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kttc.com\/2026\/01\/03\/how-does-vouching-work-minnesota-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">insecure<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/electionscorecard.heritage.org\/pages\/states\/mn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">voting practices<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are a sanctuary state. We <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-details-growing-threat-of-noncitizen-vote-in-u-s-elections\/\" title=\"Report Details Growing Threat Of Noncitizen Vote In U.S. Elections\">issue driver&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s licenses to illegal aliens. We g[a]ve taxpayer-subsidized health care to illegal aliens. We allow them to go to higher education on the taxpayer dollar and many, many additional benefits,&rdquo; Lucero said. &ldquo;Therefore, as a sanctuary state, many are gravitating to Minnesota to take advantage of the weak processes and generous handouts that Minnesota offers. Along with that, the mindset then becomes the impugning of our elections.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The MNFC chair&rsquo;s comments come as grassroots activists pressure congressional Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, a <a href=\"https:\/\/roy.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/rep-roys-save-america-act-hit-house-floor-next-week\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a> that would mandate voter ID in federal elections and require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The measure is currently pending in the Senate and all but requires Republican senators to force Democrats into a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/02\/17\/what-the-wall-street-journal-gets-wrong-about-the-talking-filibuster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">talking filibuster<\/a> to have any chance of getting it passed. <\/p>\n<p>Lucero acknowledged that the Freedom Caucus possesses limited political power to pass key legislation into law given the state&rsquo;s divided House and Democrat-controlled Senate and governor&rsquo;s mansion. In the meantime, however, he noted that the group will do what it can to disrupt the status quo in the legislature and serve as a &ldquo;beacon&rdquo; that draws Americans&rsquo; attention to the corruption across the state.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The shift of the Democrat Party, pushing Minnesota into Marxism and socialism, has resulted in the pain that Minnesotans are feeling. The purpose of the Minnesota Freedom Caucus is to be that beacon that proposes the solutions,&rdquo; Lucero said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t need more government. We don&rsquo;t need to spend more money. We simply need to get back to the basics.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with The Federalist, State Freedom Caucus Network (SFCN) President Andy Roth revealed how his organization will collaborate with the MNFC to help advance its agenda in the state. He noted how conservative state lawmakers often lack the resources (&ldquo;consultants, staffers, press team&rdquo;) possessed by governors and legislative leadership (&ldquo;the swamp&rdquo;) and described how SFCN will step in to fill that void. <\/p>\n<p>State director Paul Tuschy &ldquo;will be on the ground in Minnesota, reading the bills, making vote recommendations, talking with the grassroots, and then &mdash; because of his employment with the network &mdash; he&rsquo;ll have access to all of our other states and all of the things that are going on there, so that we can compare notes and &hellip; apply best practices to Minnesota,&rdquo; Roth said. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s national media support for when something blows up in Minnesota [or] legal support, [we&rsquo;ll provide] all sorts of things to help level the playing field.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The MNFC will officially kick off during a Monday morning press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minnesota GOP to form first freedom caucus next week<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2571840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Minnesota.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6909,6203,5698,5894],"class_list":["post-2571839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-fraud","tag-gop","tag-minnesota","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Minnesota.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2571839"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2571843,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571839\/revisions\/2571843"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2571840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2571839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2571839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2571839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}