House Education Committee subpoenas Walz over Minnesota nonprofit’s COVID-19 fraud

The House Education and the Workforce Committee issued a subpoena Wednesday for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, in relation to a nonprofit in his state that has been charged with defrauding the government during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minnesota-based Feeding Our Future (FOF) has been accused of misusing $250 million in taxpayer funds that were meant to go to hungry children.  

The federal government has charged more than 70 people associated with the nonprofit, and five of them have been convicted of fraud. The group allegedly submitted the names of fake children receiving free meals during the pandemic.

Education Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) issued subpoenas for Walz, Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong.  

“Statements in the press by you and your representatives indicate that you and other executive officers were involved, or had knowledge of, MDE’s [Minnesota Department of Education’s] administration of the FCNP [Federal Child Nutrition Program] and responsibilities and actions regarding the massive fraud,” Foxx said in the letter to Walz.  

The governor was given until Sept. 18 to provide documents and the requested information to the committee.    

The subpoenas were first reported by NBC News.

The Hill has reached out to the governor’s office and the Harris-Walz campaign for comment.

It is not the first time House Republicans have opened investigations into Walz or Vice President Harris since their run for the presidency began.  

Republicans are also looking into Walz’s ties to China and Harris’s duties at the border and on migration policy.  

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) promptly accused the Education Committee of abusing its power for political purposes.

“Blatant use of official resources for a campaign. Pretty disgusting!” he said on the social platform X in reaction to the subpoena.

—Updated at 4:34 p.m.