Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a defiant rejection of calls for his resignation on Tuesday, telling reporters he would leave office “over [his] dead body” as political pressure mounts regarding his administration’s handling of the Somali fraud scandal.
Republican state lawmakers have collectively demanded Walz step down immediately, citing reports that billions of dollars were siphoned from federal social service programs in the state. Walz, however, made it clear he isn’t going anywhere.
“It ain’t happening. I’m not going anywhere,” Walz said. “And you can make all of your requests for me to resign, over my dead body will that happen. I will fight this thing until the very end to make this state better.”
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The governor dismissed the demands as partisan attacks, accusing the lawmakers of acting on behalf of President Donald Trump. Walz attempted to turn the focus toward Washington, asking, “When does the guy in the White House resign? When does he take accountability for what he did? Because it isn’t going to happen here.”
The standoff follows Walz’s announcement on Monday that he would suspend his bid for reelection in the 2026 gubernatorial race. The decision came amid intensifying national scrutiny over the fraud cases. In November, state officials accused the governor of bearing responsibility for the losses, alleging his administration ignored whistleblowers and worked to “discredit fraud reports.”
At the center of the controversy is the Feeding Our Future scandal. Prosecutors have charged dozens of defendants with stealing more than $350 million from the nonprofit, which was intended to provide meals to low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, 57 individuals have been convicted in connection with the scheme.
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Adding to the scrutiny, a documentary released on December 26 by YouTuber Nick Shirley raised new questions about the oversight of these funds. Shirley visited 10 daycare centers run by members of the Somali community that received taxpayer funding. According to the report, none appeared to be operational, yet five of the centers had operated as meal sites for Feeding Our Future, receiving nearly $5 million between 2018 and 2021.
The documentary also alleged that the Sweet Angel Child Care center in Minneapolis listed the same phone number as Governor Walz’s office.
Walz has previously pushed back against the focus on the Somali community regarding the fraud. During a December 12 press conference, when asked about accountability for the crimes, he shifted the comparison to white citizens.
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“Look, it’s not law-abiding citizens. If that were the case, there’s a lot of white men should be holding a lot of white men accountable for the crimes that they have committed,” Walz stated.
Tensions between the governor and federal authorities have also been high. On December 2, Walz criticized President Trump after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increased deportation efforts in predominantly Somali communities, characterizing the move as a “PR stunt” and accusing the administration of “indiscriminately targeting immigrants.”
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