A petition calling for the resignation of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s administration has drawn tens of thousands of signatures online, citing what it describes as widespread fraud within the state.
As of early Wednesday, the Change.org petition had surpassed 46,000 signatures.
Why It Matters
Concerns about welfare fraud in Minnesota intensified after the Department of Justice revealed a major case in 2022, describing the defendants as individuals who “exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stolen from American taxpayers.”
Roughly 90 people have been charged in connection with fraud involving state and federal programs meant to provide nutrition, health care, and housing assistance. In one major case alone—the Feeding Our Future scheme—there have been 57 guilty pleas and convictions. The scheme was named after a Minnesota nonprofit accused of billing the government for hundreds of millions of meals that were never served.
Estimates of the total cost to taxpayers range from $250 million to as much as $1 billion. Most defendants are of East African descent and are believed to be part of Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, the largest in the United States.
What to Know
The petition calls on Walz, a Democrat, along with several other state officials, to step down. It cites economic strain and what supporters describe as serious failures in oversight connected to fraud cases, including the Feeding Our Future scandal.
“It is time for new leadership that can deliver on promises and rebuild the connection between government and its constituents, ensuring transparency, integrity, and progress for all Minnesotans,” the petition states.
Walz, who was the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee in 2024, has faced increasing pressure from some Republicans to resign. On Sunday, five Republican lawmakers from the Minnesota House and Senate issued a joint statement urging him to step aside “for the good of the state.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, wrote on X on Monday: “It’s absurd for @Tim_Walz to dismiss the corruption that happened right under his nose. He should resign. Minnesotans deserve better.”
What People Are Saying
According to the Change.org petition, “The lack of effective oversight and accountability under Governor Walz’s watch has led to financial mismanagement and a loss of confidence among the state’s citizens.”
Walz’s office has previously told Newsweek that the governor has taken steps to combat fraud, including seeking expanded authority from the state legislature, strengthening oversight mechanisms, launching investigations into specific facilities, closing at least one operation tied to the cases, and hiring an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs. The administration has also shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.
In November, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota…Tim Walz does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.”
What Happens Next
FBI Director Kash Patel said Sunday that the agency has sent additional personnel and resources to Minnesota to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”
