Nearly 38,000 pages of documents. Fewer than 75 that actually addressed what investigators asked for.
That’s what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office delivered to the House Committee on Education and Workforce, which is probing alleged fraud and misuse of federal taxpayer dollars in the state’s childcare assistance program. The rest? Duplicate press releases, news clippings about gun control, and materials about Walz’s decision not to seek reelection.
Committee Chairman Tim Walberg fired off a letter to Walz this week, accusing the governor’s office of stonewalling the investigation with what he called “unexplained redactions” and a “misleading appearance of compliance.”
The letter lands just days after the FBI raided more than 20 daycares across Minnesota as part of a federal crackdown on taxpayer fraud.
“The Committee on Education and Workforce is continuing its investigation of alleged improper payments to, or improper use of public funds by, child care providers through Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program,” the letter states.
According to the committee, more than 90% of what Minnesota submitted was useless padding. The same press releases appeared dozens of times in the document dump. Congressional investigators say the tactic created the illusion of cooperation while actually hindering their work.
The committee described the governor’s silence and lack of meaningful response as “both unacceptable and impeding the Committee’s oversight and legislative efforts.”
Walz’s office has also claimed broad attorney-client privilege and work-product protections to justify heavy redactions, but failed to explain why specific documents were blacked out. In some cases, entire email bodies were obscured.
Congressional leaders made clear they don’t recognize non-constitutional privileges as binding on oversight requests. The House, they emphasized, has the authority to demand these records.
The investigation centers on Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program, which operates under the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. The committee began its work in January after concerns emerged about improper payments flowing to childcare providers.
Now investigators are narrowing their demands. They want unredacted emails involving Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and senior staff that reference specific childcare centers under scrutiny. They’re also seeking records identifying any providers that received more than $1 million in federal childcare funds in a single fiscal year.
Flanagan, who now serves as lieutenant governor, is running for U.S. Senate. She received an endorsement Monday from Rep. Ilhan Omar, who faces her own troubles. Omar is currently the subject of a House Oversight Committee probe and potential House Ethics Committee investigation over questions about her rising wealth and possible involvement in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.
The committee says the information it’s demanding from Walz will help shape legislation to strengthen anti-fraud protections and safeguard taxpayer dollars in federal childcare programs.
“The Committee is charged with monitoring on a continuing basis the application, administration, execution, and effectiveness of federal laws and programs under its jurisdiction,” the letter continued. “Congressional oversight extends to implementation of CCDBG in Minnesota through the CCAP.”
Whether Walz’s office will provide the unredacted documents remains to be seen. But with FBI agents already executing raids across the state and congressional investigators growing impatient, pressure on the governor is mounting.
For Minnesota taxpayers and Americans across the country who fund these programs, the question is simple: where did the money go?
