ST. PAUL – Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, joins other House Republicans demanding hearings on the state’s $250 million Feeding Our Future Fraud scandal.
Lueck said Gov. Tim Walz’s and the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) response has been confusing at best and, based on District Judge John Guthmann’s recent public rebuke of Gov. Walz’s comments, an untruthful misrepresentation of what really happened.
“Knock-knock, anyone home at the Walz Administration?,” Lueck said. “It’s amazing this got as far as it did. During the period in question, there were about 152,463 students enrolled in the public schools in Hennepin County. Rather than dumping boatloads of money out to questionable non-profits, MDE could have written a $1,639 check out to every public-school student in that county.
“Walz’s Administration has attempted to blame the district court for this $250 million ‘oops,’ however there was never a court ruling directing the flow of funds be reinstated to the fraudulent organizations according to a formal statement released by Judge Guthmann.”
House Republicans recently sent a letter calling on the chairs of the House Education Committees to hold hearings and investigate what is being described as the largest pandemic fraud case in the United States — and likely the largest fraud case in Minnesota history.
To date, the House DFL has yet to hold a single hearing on this fraud case. While the Legislature is currently not in session, House committee chairs have the authority to convene hearings to examine issues that demand attention.
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