Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and a group of Republican senators have called on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) to address concerns about alleged fraud and misuse of federal child care funding in the state. The senators sent a letter citing recent reports and federal investigations into Minnesota’s management of child care assistance programs.
“We write to express serious concern regarding recent reports and federal investigations alleging widespread fraud and misuse of federal funds within Minnesota’s state-administered child care assistance programs. The state’s apparent negligent management of federal funds raises significant concerns about the adequacy of the state’s oversight, verification, and compliance systems for safeguarding taxpayer dollars intended to support vulnerable children and working families. Unfortunately, these latest reports appear to reflect only the tip of the iceberg,” the senators wrote.
The letter points to broader investigations by federal prosecutors into large-scale fraud involving Minnesota’s social services programs. Authorities estimate that billions in federal funds may have been misappropriated since 2018 across various programs, including child care, nutrition, Medicaid, and housing assistance. The senators referenced the Feeding Our Future scheme as an example, noting that over 50 individuals were convicted for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds meant for school meals.
“Federal prosecutors have been conducting a broader investigation of large-scale fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs. Some authorities estimate that billions in federal funds across various programs, including child care, nutrition, Medicaid, and housing assistance, may have been misappropriated since 2018. One example includes the Feeding Our Futurescheme, where more than 50 individuals were convicted for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds intended for school meals,” the senators continued.
According to the letter, under President Trump’s administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services froze child care payments to Minnesota while audits were conducted to verify fund usage.
“Under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has acted promptly to freeze child care payments to Minnesota pending verification and audits of how funds were used. The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, and the United States Senate is exercising its duty to ensure proper stewardship of federal taxpayer dollars for child care programs, and we take this responsibility very seriously,” they concluded.
Thom Tillis was elected as senator from North Carolina after defeating Kay Hagan in 2014 with 48.8% of votes compared to Hagan’s 47.3%. He won re-election in 2020 against Cal Cunningham with 48.7% versus Cunningham’s 46.9%.
The full text of the senators’ letter is available online.
