{"id":2578046,"date":"2026-03-10T07:48:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T11:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesotas-fraud-debacle-demands-elected-watchdogs-in-every-state\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T07:55:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T11:55:53","slug":"minnesotas-fraud-debacle-demands-elected-watchdogs-in-every-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesotas-fraud-debacle-demands-elected-watchdogs-in-every-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota\u2019s fraud debacle demands elected watchdogs in every state"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><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%2Fminnesotas-fraud-debacle-demands-elected-watchdogs-in-every-state%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=2578046&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>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/handmaids-tale-author-under-fire-for-tweeting-article-that-asked-why-we-cant-say-woman-anymore\/\" title=\"\u2018Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u2019 Author Under Fire For Tweeting Article That Asked Why We Can\u2019t Say \u2018Woman\u2019 Anymore\">opinion piece argues<\/a> that Minnesota\u2019s fraud scandal shows the danger of ditching independent financial oversight. It highlights a House Oversight hearing that exposed billions siphoned from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/politico-stealth-edits-error-filled-hit-piece-on-gop-spending-bill\/\" title=\"Politico Stealth Edits Error-Filled Hit Piece On GOP Spending Bill\u00a0\">high-risk programs<\/a>, including a $250 million fraud scheme tied to feeding Our Future, and claims that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/summer-in-paradise-california-energy-officials-warn-of-possible-blackouts-for-up-to-4-million-people\/\" title=\"Summer in Paradise: California Energy Officials Warn of Possible Blackouts for Up to 4 Million People\">federal funds meant<\/a> for children, peopel with disabilities, and struggling families were looted, contributing to inflation and higher costs for households.<\/p>\n<p>The article blames the state\u2019s elimination of an elected treasurer in 1998 and the reliance on bureaucrats for oversight, arguing that true accountability requires elected officials and strong auditors. It cites estimates of up to $9 billion in damage in Minnesota\u2019s programs since 2018 and references broader federal concerns about improper payments. To fix the problem, it calls for reinstating elected treasurers and empowering auditors nationwide, pointing to the State Financial Officers Foundation\u2019s Oversight Report, which notes $28 billion protected by watchdogs in 28 states and emphasizes the public value of fiscally responsible leadership. The piece concludes that independent financial oversight is nonpartisan and essential to curb fraud, reduce costs for families, and restore trust in government finances.  <\/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<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Minnesota&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/first-round-of-march-social-security-payments-goes-out-in-one-day\/\" title=\"First round of March Social Security payments goes out in one day\">fraud debacle demands elected watchdogs<\/a> in every state<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2525273\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The March 4 House Oversight and Government Reform Committee <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4480654\/five-takeaways-minnesota-fraud-hearing-walz-acknowledged-failures\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4480654\/five-takeaways-minnesota-fraud-hearing-walz-acknowledged-failures\/\">hearing<\/a> laid bare a simple truth: When states ditch independent financial oversight, taxpayers get robbed blind. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4481470\/trump-right-to-target-fraud-cartels-what-should-come-next\/\">Fraud is the invisible tax<\/a> worsening the affordability crisis, hitting our groceries, mortgages, and our children&rsquo;s future.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Attorney General Keith Ellison perhaps started to realize this during their <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4481485\/walz-ellison-enabled-minnesotas-fraud-scandal\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4481485\/walz-ellison-enabled-minnesotas-fraud-scandal\/\">Oversight Committee testimony<\/a> when they finally admitted their state&rsquo;s social services programs &mdash; flush with federal dollars &mdash; have been a playground for fraudsters. Billions looted from programs meant for children, people with disabilities, and struggling families. That stolen money fuels the inflation, squeezing family budgets nationwide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4485899\/convicted-coconspirators-spill-insider-intel-antifa-texas-terrorism-trial\/\">Convicted coconspirators spill insider intel on antifa at Texas terrorism trial<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4485211\/liberal-dark-money-democrats-virginia-redistricting\/\">Liberal dark money boosts Democrats&#8217; Virginia redistricting effort, massively outraising opponents<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4484074\/fairfax-county-sanctuary-policies-illegal-immigrant-murdering-innocent-woman\/\">How Fairfax County&rsquo;s sanctuary policies led to an illegal immigrant murdering an innocent woman<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Walz and Ellison&rsquo;s testimony was a master class in deflection, but the facts cut through the fog.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4481188\/third-party-auditor-investigating-minnesota-fraud-received-millions-medicaid\/\">&lsquo;THIRD-PARTY&rsquo; AUDITOR INVESTIGATING MINNESOTA FRAUD RECEIVED MILLIONS IN STATE MEDICAID FUNDS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Federal prosecutors peg the damage at up to $9 billion across Minnesota&rsquo;s high-risk programs since 2018. Scams like&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4481380\/minneapolis-man-bribery-feeding-our-future-fraud\/\">Feeding Our Future<\/a>&nbsp;alone siphoned off $250 million in fake child nutrition claims. Phantom meals turned into mansions, Mercedes, and maybe even wires to terrorists such as Al Shabaab. Then there&rsquo;s the day care rackets and autism therapy ghosts billing millions for services never rendered. Housing stabilization funds? <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4480190\/minnesota-attorney-general-says-was-duped-feeding-future\/\">Over $100 million vanished<\/a> into thin air for &ldquo;helping&rdquo; the homeless who never saw a dime.<\/p>\n<p>These spending issues didn&rsquo;t come out of nowhere. Whistleblowers waved red flags for years, and Minnesota Department of Human Services <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4473579\/tim-walz-antifraud-legislation-medicaid-funding-minnesota\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4473579\/tim-walz-antifraud-legislation-medicaid-funding-minnesota\/\">employees begged for action<\/a>. Instead, the governor&rsquo;s crew kept the checks flowing, ignored the alarms, and hid behind lawyers. Oversight Committee member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) hammered Walz on restarting payments to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4471850\/woman-pleads-guilty-stealing-millions-feeding-our-future\/\">Feeding Our Future fraudsters<\/a>, even after a court clarified no such order existed. &ldquo;Somebody&rsquo;s lying,&rdquo; Jordan pressed. &ldquo;Either you&rsquo;re lying, or the court&rsquo;s lying. Which one?&rdquo; Walz blamed attorneys. Pure politics.<\/p>\n<p>This is outrageous, and Minnesotans deserve answers. An elected treasurer would&rsquo;ve had every incentive to slam the brakes on improper payments. A true auditor, answerable to voters, would&rsquo;ve sniffed out the rot early. Instead, Minnesota&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/minnesota-paid-dearly-for-saving-1-million-8c93ba7e\">scrapped its elected treasurer<\/a>&nbsp;back in 1998, scattering duties to bureaucrats who don&rsquo;t face the ballot box. No wonder fraud exploded.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, there are better models to follow. The State Financial Officers Foundation&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/report-exposes-billions-in-uncovered-fraud-waste-as-watchdog-coalition-offers-support-to-trumps-crackdown\">recently released<\/a>&nbsp;inaugural&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sfof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SFOF-2025-Oversight-Report.pdf\">Oversight Report<\/a> shows 40 conservative treasurers, auditors, and comptrollers in 28 states protected $28 billion last year alone. That&rsquo;s $5.7 billion uncovered in waste, fraud, and abuse, plus $22.3 billion in smart investments and unclaimed property returned to folks who earned it, helping stimulate the economy without printing a single new dollar, all by taking their jobs seriously.<\/p>\n<p>Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia flagged nearly $2 billion in bloated local spending. Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball exposed over $800 million in bogus Medicaid payouts and another $250 million in lapsed education funds. Utah Auditor Tina Cannon turned a whistleblower tip into county-wide cash-handling fixes. North Carolina Treasurer Brad Briner unearthed $170 million in idle funds, which he has pledged to use to pay down state debt. Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith posted a record $469 million investment return. State financial officers consistently rank as the&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sfof.com\/state-financial-officers-leaders-fiscal-responsibility\/\">most trusted elected officials<\/a>&nbsp;on money matters, and the Oversight Report shows why. These results are no accident. They&rsquo;re the fruit of elected watchdogs who treat taxpayer money like it&rsquo;s their own, shielding families from inflation&rsquo;s sting.<\/p>\n<p>Minnesota voters bought the pitch that treasurers were just glorified clerks, saving a measly million bucks a year. Look at the bill now: billions in fraud that forces Washington to print and borrow more. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent&rsquo;s right: Up to&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/01\/12\/us-news\/treasury-secretary-scott-bessent-reveals-up-to-10-of-us-budget-stolen-each-year\/\">10%&nbsp;of the federal budget<\/a> bleeds out to fraud yearly, with hundreds of billions fueling inflation and debt. The Government Accountability Office recently estimated&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Thomas-GAO-Written-Testimony.pdf\">nearly $3 trillion<\/a>&nbsp;in improper payments over two decades. Every <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >stolen dollar means higher grocery bills<\/a>, steeper mortgage payments, and tighter family budgets.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4471743\/day-care-fraud-suitcases-cash-somali-fraud-worse-than-you-think\/\">FROM DAY CARE FRAUD TO SUITCASES FULL OF CASH: SOMALI FRAUD IS WORSE THAN YOU THINK<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, help is on the way. Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4473841\/vance-leading-trump-war-fraud-double-edged-sword\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4473841\/vance-leading-trump-war-fraud-double-edged-sword\/\">JD Vance<\/a> is leading the War on Fraud, and Colin McDonald is the new fraud czar at the Justice Department, with SFOF&nbsp;pledging&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sfof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SFOF-2025-Report-Letter-to-Vice-President-Vance.pdf\">full backup<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Long term, the fixes are straightforward. Reinstate elected treasurers and empower auditors everywhere. These offices aren&rsquo;t optional. Their work is not partisan, and taxpayers from every state benefit from them. As these watchdogs do their duty, watch the fraud and waste dry up and see affordability restored. Let&rsquo;s keep our money where it belongs: in our pockets, not some fraudster&rsquo;s Mercedes.<\/p>\n<p><em>OJ Oleka is CEO of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sfof.com\/\">State Financial Officers Foundation<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fraud crisis demands elected watchdogs nationwide<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4206,"featured_media":2578047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26063643463517.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[6571,6909,5698,10378],"class_list":["post-2578046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-elections","tag-fraud","tag-minnesota","tag-watchdogs"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26063643463517.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578046","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\/4206"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2578046"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2578054,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578046\/revisions\/2578054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2578047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2578046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2578046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2578046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}