Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrat party's choice to be the vice presidential nominee alongside leftist Kamala Harris, has been subpoenaed by Congress as part of an investigation into the mishandling of COVID-era federal child nutrition cash.
A report from Trending Politics explains the subpoena is from the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, headed by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
She is demanding documents and communications involving Walz and his administration regarding their role in the child-nutrition program funds consumed by the Feeding Our Future program.
Walz already has admitted there wasn't as much "due diligence" by his officials as was needed by the handout program.
The report said the target of the review is how Walz's Department of Education managed federal money during the pandemic.
"Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization, was implicated in one of the largest fraud cases in the country, accused of misappropriating tens of millions of dollars meant to feed hungry children. Despite red flags and warnings, the MDE resumed payments to FOF," the report confirmed.
The scandal broke in 2022 when federal authorities charged dozens of people who were linked to the FOF spending agenda with fraud, apparently based on allegations the nonprofit gave millions of dollars from the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program to various shell companies, which then spent the dollars on expensive cars, homes and vacations.
The report confirmed Walz already has been under criticism for failing to prevent the alleged fraud.
The subpoena, a copy of which was obtained by Punchbowl News, said, "The actions taken by you and other executive officers were insufficient to address the massive fraud."
Members of Congress earlier had requested information, but what the state provided was inadequate, prompted the subpoena.
Walz admits oversight could have been better, but said no state employees were involved in fraud.
He said state workers "simply didn't do as much due diligence as they should have."
The report said the committee, however, has cited public statements and media reports that Walz and his cohorts might have been more involved in the programs than has been admitted so far.
Specifically, the committee wants details on how and why the state resumed payments to FOF, despite "concerns."
Foxx wrote, "The fraud in the FCNP is within the committee's jurisdiction and is a subject on which legislation could be had."
So far, some four dozen individuals have been charged with misusing a quarter of a billion dollars in federal child nutrition program funds in the FOF scandal.
