Republican Representative Jim Jordan and Democratic Governor Tim Walz faced off Wednesday during a House Oversight Committee hearing, as Jordan pressed the Minnesota governor on his administration’s handling of the Feeding Our Future (FOF) fraud scandal. The exchange centered on whether Walz misled the public by claiming a court order forced the state to resume payments to the nonprofit.
The tension stems from 2021, when the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) briefly halted funding to FOF due to fraud concerns before restarting them. Walz previously suggested that Judge John Guthmann had legally compelled the state to resume those payments.
However, a 2022 press release from the court explicitly refuted that narrative, stating the judge never issued such an order and that the state’s decision to resume payments was voluntary.
“Due to inaccurate statements by the Governor, the Commissioner of Education, and the media regarding the investigation of Feeding Our Future (FOF) and resulting federal indictments, Ramsey County District Court Judge John H. Guthmann has authorized the issuance of this news release.”
“Why didn’t you tell the truth about why you restarted the payments?” Jordan asked during the hearing.
Walz initially pivoted, citing the rapid expansion of the program during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Jordan refocused the questioning on the specific reason for restarting the money flow, Walz stated, “My understanding was the agency believed that the court had required them to make those payments.”
Jordan challenged that understanding, reading directly from the court’s September 2022 statement. “Here’s what the judge says: ‘Governor Tim Walz told the media that the Minnesota Department of Education attempted to end payments to FOF because of possible fraud, but that Judge Guthmann ordered payments to continue in April 2021.’ Next sentence: ‘That is false.’ So you said something that wasn’t true,” Jordan said.
The Republican congressman also quoted the portion of the court’s release which clarified that the judge “never ordered the Department of Education to resume payments to FOF in April 2021, or at any other time.”
Walz defended the discrepancy by pointing to legal advice received at the time. “Congressman, the attorneys at the Department of Education interpreted that differently,” Walz said, noting that the judges involved are no longer on the bench.
Jordan dismissed the “interpretation” defense, arguing that a press release from the court carries more weight than internal agency opinions. “Well, somebody’s lying… you can’t say the court ordered you to restart the payments. And then the court says, ‘We didn’t order you to restart the payments.’ So either you’re lying or the court’s lying… Which one is it?” Jordan asked.
Walz maintained his position, replying, “I just simply know what the attorneys at the agency believed, that it was a misinterpretation.”
Jordan accused the governor of “trying to hide behind… some court order that didn’t exist.”
The FOF scandal remains one of the largest pandemic-era fraud cases in the country, involving the alleged misappropriation of $250 million in federal nutrition funds.
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