WASHINGTON — A Republican-led U.S. House committee has issued subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials, demanding that they turn over documents involving the $250 million COVID-era Feeding Our Future scheme.
NBC News obtained the subpoenas on Wednesday. They were issued to Walz, Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett, and the Minnesota Department of Education along with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong by the House Education and Workforce Committee.
The committee, led by North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx, is investigating the scandal, which federal prosecutors call the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the country. The non-profit Feeding Our Future is accused of orchestrating a scheme in which individuals set up fake operations to serve children meals during the pandemic, in many cases submitting fake names and documentation to collect millions of dollars in federal funds.
Prosecutors say the 70 people indicted in the case used the money to buy real estate, vehicles, vacations and other items to fuel their lavish lifestyles.
Foxx wrote in a letter to Walz - now running for Vice President on the Democratic ticket with current VP Kamala Harris - that the documents are needed to show "the extent of your responsibilities and actions addressing the massive fraud that resulted in the abuse of taxpayer dollars intended for hungry children," according to NBC News.
A 104-page report by Minnesota's Office of the Legislative Auditor says lack of oversight by the Minnesota Department of Education allowed the scheme to unfold, bilking taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of federal funds distributed to help the country deal with the COVID pandemic.
Commissioner Willie Jett strongly refuted the findings, saying the education department followed all guidelines and contacted law enforcement appropriately when the wrongdoing was discovered.
Walz's record as Minnesota's governor has increasingly come under scrutiny as he and Harris campaign for the White House. Republicans have also raised concerns about Walz's response to the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd.
NBC reported Wednesday that the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee criticized the timing of the subpoena and noted in a timeline that it marks the first public outreach to Walz by Republicans.
“The timing of the Republican’s subpoena to Governor Walz is weird,” Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., said, suggesting the subpoenas were more political than substantive.
Walz and the state and federal officials have until Sept. 18 to provide the requested documents, the subpoenas say, although none of those served are required to testify.
So far, 18 of the Feeding Our Future defendants have pleaded guilty and five were found guilty in June after an expansive trial. Another round of defendants is scheduled to go on trial in November.
