A fiery House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday put Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison directly in the hot seat as Republican lawmakers unleashed a barrage of questions about the massive fraud scandal that has rocked the state. The central question repeated throughout the hearing was simple but explosive: What did they know, and when did they know it?
Republican members pressed both officials for clear answers about when they first became aware of the fraud allegations that ultimately cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Instead of calm testimony, the hearing quickly devolved into sharp exchanges and heated confrontations.
Rep. Virginia Foxx delivered one of the most direct rebukes of the day, accusing Walz of failing the people of Minnesota.
“You did not do your job, you did not do your job,” Foxx said bluntly. “You did not protect taxpayer dollars. You allowed massive fraud. You and Mr. Ellison allowed massive fraud to go on in the state of Minnesota.”
Foxx added that while the consequences may be political rather than legal, the scale of the scandal is staggering.
“It is unfortunate, as somebody said, that you can’t be held personally responsible at this stage in the game,” she told the governor.
Another explosive moment came during an exchange between Walz and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. The confrontation centered on Walz’s past public statements claiming that a judge forced the Minnesota Department of Education to resume payments in April 2021 after the agency attempted to halt them over fraud concerns.
Jordan pointed to a court-authorized statement from Ramsey County District Court Judge John H. Guthmann issued in 2022 that disputed the governor’s version of events.
“So either you’re lying or the court’s lying,” Jordan said. “And I’m just asking you which one is it?”
The hearing also featured a tense back-and-forth between Walz and Republican Rep. Nancy Mace. Mace pressed the governor on specific data related to autism services spending in Minnesota and the number of children in the state. Walz repeatedly failed to provide precise figures, despite saying he had prepared for the hearing.
Likely the best thing you’ll see on the internet today.
During a confessional hearing on Minnesota fraud (featuring Walz and AG Ellison), Representative Cloud (Tx) schools a female woke “reverend” in what Matthew 25 really means and what God really commands when it comes to… pic.twitter.com/SNdfYurrAA
— Natalie Jean Beisner (@NJBeisner) March 4, 2026
Mace appeared stunned by the lack of answers.
“So your excuse before — that you didn’t know what the 2017 autism numbers were — because you were not governor,” Mace said. “And today you can’t answer the numbers about 2024 as governor, and you still said you prepared for this hearing today. It’s unbelievable.”
Walz responded by accusing Mace of trying to use him as a political “prop,” escalating the already tense exchange. Mace fired back with a pointed remark.
“I expect you to know this information. Thank God you’re not vice president of the United States,” she said.
Attorney General Keith Ellison also faced intense scrutiny. Republican Rep. Clay Higgins confronted him over whether he was personally leading the effort to investigate the sweeping fraud allegations.
Ellison attempted to explain that his office was following the law, but Higgins cut him off.
“I’m not talking about Medicaid fraud, don’t hide behind that,” Higgins said. “You have the authority to prosecute anything criminally that the governor asks you to, and this thing is big.”
When Ellison did not give the answer Higgins demanded, the congressman escalated further.
“You are not leading,” Higgins declared. “I’m going to say, Mr. Chairman, that the attorney general of the state of Minnesota should resign.”
As the hearing drew to a close, the tension continued to build. Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy suggested that Walz could face impeachment under Minnesota’s state constitution for what he described as “malfeasance” related to the handling of the fraud scandal.
Walz remains in office despite announcing earlier this year that he will not seek re-election, a decision that came as scrutiny over the fraud scandal intensified. Meanwhile, Republicans say the investigation into how such a massive scheme operated for so long is far from over.
