It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
The Education and Workforce Committee issued a subpoena, requiring Minnesota Governor and Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz to answer questions regarding the “Feeding Our Future” fraud scandal, which is being called the “largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the nation.”
Feeding Our Future, which is now dissolved, was a nonprofit “child nutrition program” tasked with feeding low-income children during the pandemic. The organization has since been accused of diverting 250$ million in federal funding during the COVID-19 era, resulting in 70 individuals charged, 18 guilty pleas, and five convictions.
Following the scandal breaking in 2022, Walz (D-Minn.) has shrugged off allegations that his administration was delaying an investigation into Feeding Our Future.
“We caught this fraud. We caught it very early. We alerted the right people,” Walz stated in September of 2022. “We were taken to court. We were sued. We were threatened with going to jail. We stuck with it.”
The Minnesota Legislative Auditor has revealed that the state’s Department of Education had “failed to act on warning signs,” and “did not effectively exercise its authority to hold Feeding Our Future accountable to program requirements.”
originally posted by: theatreboy
a reply to: xuenchen
IF this pans out to be true, the Dems should sue their colleges for not teaching the meaning of the word "vetting".
originally posted by: LollieK3
So I had an interesting conversation with my boss today, and she said that during Civid, Walz had a policy of “Tell on Your Neighbor”. It’s late here, and am going to bed, so if someone can dig this up for me, I’d appreciate it!
The governor said his administration spotted irregularities "very early" and alerted the USDA during President Donald Trump's administration. Walz said he couldn't recall precisely when he first learned of the suspicions.
Court filings indicate Feeding Our Future applied to become a program sponsor in Spring 2020, and that the state agency began trying to crack down in October 2020.
Walz said there "needs to be a review" of why the USDA didn't take the state's concerns seriously when it first sounded the alarm. The state agency contends its concerns weren't taken seriously until it reached out to the FBI in April of 2021. The FBI ultimately executed a series of search warrants in January 2022 and released partial information about the investigation, effectively shutting down the alleged scheme.
Walz also noted that Ramsey County District Judge John Guthmann ordered the state in April 2021 to resume the payments and and held the state agency in contempt of court. Walz suggested the judge's order was expensive.
"Most of the money left after we were forced to continue to pay, not before," he said.
It was only under President Joe Biden that the FBI began to act, Walz said. But he said Education Commissioner Heather Mueller came under FBI orders not to say anything that could jeopardize the investigation.
The governor said his administration spotted irregularities "very early" and alerted the USDA during President Donald Trump's administration.
Court filings indicate Feeding Our Future applied to become a program sponsor in Spring 2020, and that the state agency began trying to crack down in October 2020.
Walz said there "needs to be a review" of why the USDA didn't take the state's concerns seriously when it first sounded the alarm. The state agency contends its concerns weren't taken seriously until it reached out to the FBI in April of 2021. The FBI ultimately executed a series of search warrants in January 2022
Ramsey County District Judge John Guthmann ordered the state in April 2021 to resume the payments and and held the state agency in contempt of court.
originally posted by: frogs453
a reply to: Irishhaf
You missed this?
The governor said his administration spotted irregularities "very early" and alerted the USDA during President Donald Trump's administration.
This
Court filings indicate Feeding Our Future applied to become a program sponsor in Spring 2020, and that the state agency began trying to crack down in October 2020.
This
Walz said there "needs to be a review" of why the USDA didn't take the state's concerns seriously when it first sounded the alarm. The state agency contends its concerns weren't taken seriously until it reached out to the FBI in April of 2021. The FBI ultimately executed a series of search warrants in January 2022
And this?
Ramsey County District Judge John Guthmann ordered the state in April 2021 to resume the payments and and held the state agency in contempt of court.