A group of Minnesota Republicans says it’s preparing to pursue impeachment proceedings against Governor Tim Walz, arguing the state has been rocked by extensive fraud tied to government programs.
State Representative Mike Wiener shared a set of draft articles of impeachment with Newsweek aimed at removing Walz from office. In separate posts on X, other GOP lawmakers said they also intend to introduce impeachment measures against the Democratic governor, citing what they describe as mounting concerns about fraud in Minnesota.
“Democrat control of our state has led to 9 billion dollars of fraud that we currently know about,” Wiener told Newsweek. “Governor Walz said ‘the buck stops with him.’ Since he refused to resign the next step is impeachment. Our taxpayers are demanding this, and if the Democrats don’t support the impeachment they are complicit with the fraud.”
Newsweek said it contacted Walz’s office by email for comment outside normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Allegations of fraud in Minnesota have drawn national attention in recent weeks and have fueled criticism of Walz. The scrutiny comes as officials continue investigating suspected misuse of public funds, and as lawmakers debate who should be held accountable for oversight failures.
Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice first uncovered welfare fraud in Minnesota in 2022 tied to the Feeding Our Future nonprofit, which authorities estimate cost taxpayers about $250 million.
What To Know
According to the draft documents Wiener provided to Newsweek, the four articles of impeachment accuse Walz of violating his oath of office by:
- concealing or permitting the concealment of fraud
- interfering with lawful actions related to fraud
- placing political considerations above lawful administration
- failing to properly steward public funds
Wiener said the idea took shape after he reviewed the Minnesota Constitution.
“I have finally gotten papers with articles of impeachment back for Governor Walz,” he said. “Those articles will be dropped at the beginning of session; it is a complicated process.”
State Representatives Pam Altendorf and Krista Knudsen also posted publicly about their impeachment intentions on X. Newsweek said it contacted both lawmakers by email for comment outside normal business hours.
How Impeachment Would Work
Any impeachment effort would need to clear both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature. Control of the House is evenly split, with each party holding 67 seats. Wiener said that for the effort to advance, he would need at least one Democrat on a committee to vote with him to move the matter to the full House.
Political observers remain skeptical the effort could reach the threshold needed to remove the governor. Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey, said the move appears unlikely to succeed.
“At this stage, moves to impeach Governor Walz from Minnesota’s Republican State House representatives are more performative than substantial,” Shanahan told Newsweek.
“In these hyper-partisan times, there’s no way they could gain the necessary two-thirds majority necessary to convict Walz in a Senate trial,” he said.
Shanahan added that even if Republicans formally introduce a resolution, it would need to present clear evidence of wrongdoing that directly implicates the governor—something he suggested would be difficult.
What People Are Saying
Walz addressed the situation in a statement on January 5, saying: “Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences.”
Knudsen wrote on X: “Articles of Impeachment have been drafted.”
Altendorf wrote on X: “IMPEACHMENT and all options are on the table for @GovTim Walz if he does not resign. With the unprecedented amount of fraud happening under the Governor @Tim_Walz Administration, republicans draft articles of impeachment.
“New and damning fraud examples are occurring now at nearly a daily basis, and it is essential we have all tools available and ready to use when we go back to session this February. Impeachment is one of those options that Republicans must have available and it’s on the table.”
The Minnesota Constitution states: “The house of representatives has the sole power of impeachment through a concurrence of a majority of all its members. All impeachments shall be tried by the senate. When sitting for that purpose, senators shall be upon oath or affirmation to do justice according to law and evidence. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the senators present.”
What Happens Next
Wiener said the articles would be introduced at the start of the legislative session. Any measure would then have to move through committee and, if advanced, head to the House floor.
President Donald Trump also referenced the allegations, vowing to “get to the bottom” of the alleged fraud in Minnesota during a New Year’s Eve event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
