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Walz ‘has been an absolute failure’ in combating fraud, says GOP gubernatorial challenger Robbins
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A Republican state lawmaker who is hoping to dethrone Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in next year’s gubernatorial election charges that on the Democratic governor’s watch, Minnesotans have «had billions of our tax dollars stolen by people who are criminals.»
And state Rep. Kristin Robbins, in an interview with Fox News Digital, argued that Walz «has been an absolute failure» in combating fraud during his two terms as governor.
Walz in recent weeks has been facing plenty of political pressure from state and national Republicans, including President Donald Trump, as authorities investigate a series of multimillion-dollar alleged fraud schemes, including the governor’s handling of a massive relief program that federal prosecutors say devolved into the «largest pandemic fraud in the United States.»
Robbins, the chair of the Minnesota House’s Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee, has made the issue a top priority of her GOP campaign for governor. She’s one of a handful of leading contenders in a crowded field of Republicans hoping to face off with Walz next November as the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee bids for a third term as governor.
WALZ BEARS ‘FULL RESPONSIBILITY’ FOR $1B FRAUD SCANDAL, GOP CHALLENGER DEMUTH DECLARES
State Rep. Kristen Robbins is running for Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial nomination. (Kristin Robbins campaign)
«I’ve been chair of the fraud committee since last January, and this has really been my main focus over the last year of the legislature,» she said. «And even though we’re out of session, I’ve continued to keep the fraud committee having hearings monthly, because this issue is so enormous, we still don’t have our arms around it. So we’re continuing to dig in.»
The first federal charges against alleged fraudsters in the case were filed three years ago. Fast-forward to today and there are now upwards of 75 defendants in the $250 million scheme.
The case revolves around a nonprofit named Feeding our Future, which partnered with the Minnesota Department of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute meals to children.
OMAR ALLIES TIED TO MASSIVE MINNESOTA COVID MEAL FRAUD SCHEME INVOLVING SOMALI COMMUNITY
Prosecutors charged that Feeding our Future and affiliated food distribution sites raked in millions of dollars by submitting fake meal counts and invoices to trick state and federal officials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of the people charged are of Somali descent. Minnesota has the largest Somali population of any state in the country.
The U.S. Treasury says its investigating whether tax dollars from Minnesota’s public assistance programs made their way to Al-Shabab, a Somali-based affiliate of al Qaeda, which the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz acknowledges the applause of the House chamber before he delivers his State of the State address before a joint session of the Legislature at the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)
And the Republican-controlled U.S. House, through the Oversight Committee, has opened a probe into Walz’s handling of the relief program.
Robbins argued that under Walz’s watch, «we’ve had billions of our tax dollars stolen by people who are criminals, and Minnesotans don’t have the services they need, and Minnesotans work hard for their money and to see all this money being shipped overseas.»
EMMER SLAMS WALZ, DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY OVER ALLEGED RETALIATION TIED TO MINNESOTA FRAUD
«Minnesotans now own a resort in Kenya. They own an apartment in Nairobi. They own a culinary school in Ohio,» she said. «It’s ridiculous, the things our money has been wasted on, and so I’m grateful to our federal partners who are prosecuting these cases, but we have to have a new governor who’s going to have a no fraud, no excuses culture.»
Walz, speaking to reporters on Thursday, pledged to «tackle the issue of fraud, of people defrauding the people of Minnesota and the state of Minnesota. We know now that those programs have been paused. We have an independent auditor from the outside. We’ve enacted new powers that we have to stop payments and to be able to make sure that that snapshot of what’s there is. The people who did it will go to prison.»
«My goal is to make sure that those going forward have much better tools, much more safeguards around programs,» the governor added.
But Robbins charged that Walz and his administration «are very late to this. They have stepped up recently, but the things that they’ve done, they already had the authority to stop payment when there were credible allegations of fraud. They already had authority to do prepayment reviews and close down some of these programs.»
ILHAN OMAR GIVES BLISTERING RESPONSE TO TRUMP AFTER HE CALLS HER AND OTHER SOMALI MIGRANTS ‘GARBAGE’
«They haven’t been doing it until we really have been holding their feet to the fire and exposing all the fraud,» she emphasized.
Trump has repeatedly blamed Minnesota’s Somali population for the fraud. On Tuesday, he called immigrants from Somalia «garbage» and claimed they «destroyed Minnesota.»
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after speaking to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
Last month, the president announced he was ending temporary deportation protections for Somali immigrants in Minnesota and claimed that «Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State.»
Walz on Thursday called Trump’s comments «vile racial racist lies» and «slander towards our fellow Minnesotans.»
Asked about the president’s comments, Robbins said, «the bulk of the fraud that we’ve uncovered so far is in the Somali community. And one of the reasons the fraud has perpetuated based on whistleblowers who reach out to me is that they were afraid to say that out loud, because they were afraid of having political retribution or being called racist.»
«So we do have to say that. Say it out loud. Most of the fraud is in the Somali community,» she added.
But Robbins also emphasized that «most of the best whistleblowers are also in the Somali community. Both things are true. So certainly, that’s where most of the fraud is. But also there’s a lot of people in the Somali community who want to clean it up.»
Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins spotlights her anti-fraud efforts during a campaign news conference. (Kristin Robbins campaign)
Robbins told Fox News Digital that her efforts taking aim at the fraud may boost her bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
«I certainly know where all the problems are and how this massive fraud scandal has been allowed to flourish under Tim Walz,» she said. «I think I can speak directly to it and take him on, directly on the debate and on the details. I think I’m most qualified.»
And Robbins added, «I’m also most qualified to solve it when I’m governor. So I’ve already rolled up my fraud plan of how we were going to standardize internal controls, how we’re going to have an Office of Inspector General, how we are going to hold employees in the state accountable. So I think I will be the one who can solve the problem for Minnesota.»
Robbins, who was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2018, represents a purple district in the Minneapolis suburbs. She has touted that in the crowded field of GOP gubernatorial contenders, she’s the «only conservative Republican who’s a proven winner in the suburbs.»
Robbins served as Minnesota state chair of former U.S. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s 2024 Republican presidential campaign.
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And on Thursday, Haley praised Robbins in a fundraising email to supporters.
«We have to stop Tim Walz and elect a leader who will fight to end this corruption!» Haley wrote. «Kristin Robbins has spent her career fighting fraud and she’ll do the same as governor.»
donald trump,tim walz,minnesota,elections,republicans elections,gubernatorial
INTERNACIONAL
Israel cede a la presión y acepta negociar con Líbano, pero persiste la incertidumbre sobre la tregua en Irán
Bajo fuerte presión europea y apurado por la Casa Blanca que necesita poner fin a la guerra con Irán, Israel aceptó negociar un alto el fuego con Líbano. Así, abrió un resquicio para apuntalar la frágil tregua en la región y permitir el inicio formal de las conversaciones entre Washington y Teherán en Pakistán previstas para este sábado.
“Ante los reiterados llamamientos de Líbano para iniciar negociaciones directas con Israel, instruí al Gabinete para que inicie las negociaciones lo antes posible”, dijo el premier Benjamin Netanyahu en un comunicado oficial, sin mencionar las presiones de la Unión Europea o del propio Donald Trump.
Sin embargo, advirtió: “No hay un alto el fuego en Líbano». Y remarcó que Israel continúa “atacando a (el grupo chiíta libanés proiraní) Hezbollah con fuerza y no cesará hasta restablecer la seguridad en el territorio israelí”.
La incertidumbre sigue latente. Un funcionario israelí citado por The Times of Israel dijo que las conversaciones comenzarían “en los próximos días”. El sitio estadounidense Axios reveló que la primera reunión se celebrará la próxima semana en la sede del Departamento de Estado, en Washington. Faltan al menos cuatro días.
Si Israel sigue con su ofensiva sobre territorio libanés, la región quedaría expuesta a un recrudecimiento del conflicto. De hecho, dos días después del anunciado acuerdo entre Estados Unidos e Irán, persiste una enorme incertidumbre sobre la apertura del estrecho de Ormuz, por donde pasaba el 20% del petróleo mundial.
Si Israel continúa bombardeando Líbano, el acuerdo podría caer por decisión de Irán. Pero si Teherán no abre el paso marítimo, el cese el fuego dejaría de existir por determinación de Trump. La llave para destrabar la situación está hoy en Líbano y en manos de Israel.
¿Es posible alcanzar acuerdos mínimos?
Irán y Estados Unidos miran hoy a Líbano. Allí se juega el futuro de la tregua de dos semanas pactada por ambos países el martes después de 40 días de una guerra con enormes consecuencias económicas y comerciales en todo el mundo.
Si la presión sobre Israel da resultado, entonces quedará allanada la realización de la cumbre iraní-estadounidense para este sábado en Islamabad, la capital paquistaní. Hacia allí viajará el vicepresidente estadounidense, J.D. Vance, una “paloma” contraria desde el principio a la guerra dentro de los “halcones” que rodean a Trump.
El vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, JD Vance, habla con los medios de comunicación antes de subir al Air Force Two en Hungría el 8 de abril de 2026. (Foto: Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS)
El hecho de que el presidente republicano haya elegido a su vice para representarlo es toda una declaración de principios. Trump quiere terminar el conflicto a pocos meses de las elecciones intermedias de noviembre y mitigar el daño interno por el alza del precio de los combustibles y distintos insumos.
Leé también: Los peajes en el estrecho de Ormuz desafían el derecho internacional
Pero ya podría ser tarde. Una fuente cercana a la Casa Blanca resumió al sitio estadounidense Político: “Esta guerra en Irán casi consolida el hecho de que perderemos las elecciones intermedias en noviembre: el Senado y la Cámara de Representantes”.
Trump no tiene tiempo. Los ayatollah todo lo contrario. Si el presidente republicano pierde el control del Congreso quedará fuertemente condicionado el segundo tramo de su mandato.
Entendimientos mínimos: sanciones y estrecho de Ormuz
Así, de cara a la cumbre del sábado, se buscará al menos llegar a entendimientos mínimos que alejen el riesgo de un recrudecimiento del conflicto, más allá de las habituales declaraciones amenazantes y grandilocuentes de Trump.
Ali Vaez, experto en temas iraníes del Crisis Group, una ONG encargada de la resolución de conflictos, dijo a TN que “en momentos de alta tensión suele ser más fácil para las partes explorar acuerdos transaccionales limitados que intentar un retorno inmediato a un acuerdo integral”.
“Así que, en principio, los acuerdos menores centrados en la desescalada -incluída la libertad de navegación en el Estrecho de Ormuz y algún tipo de alivio de las sanciones- son más plausibles a corto plazo que un acuerdo amplio que intente resolver todos los asuntos pendientes de una sola vez», indicó. El cierre del estrecho de Ormuz causó una grave crisis internacional (Foto de archivo: Reuters)
Además, afirmó: “El principal obstáculo no es técnico, sino político. Ambas partes pueden ver valor en medidas provisionales, pero también les preocupará que las concesiones parciales puedan reducir su margen de maniobra para una negociación posterior más amplia».
El analista Mehran Kamrava, profesor de ciencias políticas de la Universidad de Georgetown, en Qatar, dijo a TN que, a largo plazo, ambos países necesitan un alto el fuego duradero.
“Cada uno por una razón diferente: la administración Trump por cuestiones de legado histórico, y el gobierno iraní porque necesita el alivio de las sanciones. Ambas partes abordarán todos los temas pendientes, incluido el control del estrecho de Ormuz, que Irán considera una ventaja importante, así como las sanciones impuestas y lideradas por Estados Unidos”, afirmó.
Leé también: Los peajes en el estrecho de Ormuz desafían el derecho internacional
Robert Malley, exenviado especial a Irán del expresidente Joe Biden, dijo que la enorme brecha existente entre las exigencias de ambas partes hace que sea “improbable llegar rápidamente un acuerdo integral, especialmente en tan poco tiempo”.
“Consideró más plausible que ambas partes alcancen acuerdos limitados que eludan los asuntos más difíciles, incluido el futuro del programa nuclear iraní y sus reservas de casi 450 kilogramos de uranio altamente enriquecido”, enfatizó.
Por eso, afirmó: “Es difícil imaginar un acuerdo integral dadas las diferencias y las visiones divergentes de ambas partes. Se puede imaginar una serie de acuerdos menores que incluyan el estrecho de Ormuz y cierto alivio de las sanciones”.
Irán, Donald Trump, Líbano, Israel
INTERNACIONAL
UK defense minister warns Putin of ‘serious consequences’ after covert underwater military operation
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U.K. Defense Minister John Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of «serious consequences» Thursday after revealing a weeks-long military operation to deter Russian meddling in the North Sea.
«To President Putin I say we see you, we see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences,» he cautioned.
The defense minister detailed an operation involving a Royal Navy frigate, a Royal Air Force patrol plane and hundreds of personnel deployed to deter a trio of Russian submarines that were detected near underwater cables in Britain’s economic exclusionary zone.
RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN RESOLUTION AIMED AT REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP DEADLINE
British Defense Secretary John Healey delivers a statement on recent U.K. operational activity at 9 Downing Street, in London, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP)
One of the submarines, Healey announced, was a nuclear-powered Akula-class submarine, while the other two were spy submarines from Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, also known as GUGI. Subs from this unit were directed specifically by Putin «to conduct hybrid warfare activities against the UK» and its allies, Healey said.
At least one of those allies, Norway, was involved in the deterrent operation, Healey revealed. Norway’s Defense Minister Tore O Sandvik confirmed the cooperation in a Thursday statement.
«Norway has participated in a coordinated military operation with our allies to send a clear message: covert activities in our waters will not be tolerated,» Sandvik wrote.
The submarines left U.K. waters after a protracted period of monitoring from the U.K. and Norway, and there is no evidence of damage to any underwater infrastructure, Healey said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.K.’s Defense Department for more information.
The Russian incursion marked the second time in less than six months that the U.K. detected Russian seacraft near its territorial waters. Healey announced a similar military operation in November after Russia deployed the spy ship Yantar to the North Sea in 2025.
TRUMP, STARMER AGREE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MUST REOPEN AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting to discuss the situation in Dagestan hit by severe flood via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Healey also cited this year’s incident as an example of why the U.K. hasn’t sent troops to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf key to global energy markets that Iran has choked off in recent weeks.
«I understand people questioning why all UK military assets and personnel have not been deployed to deal with it. But that is not in Britain’s national interest,» he said, later calling Russia «the primary threat to the UK and to NATO.»
President Donald Trump has criticized NATO allies and the organization itself for not acceding to requests to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
«NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,» he wrote in a Thursday morning Truth Social post.
Russian personnel walk on the gangway to Russian Navy submarine RFS Petropavlosvsk-Kamchatskiy, which is currently on a port visit at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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The U.K., while holding a planning meeting on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran War is over, initially refused to let the U.S. use a British air base to launch military strikes against Iran.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer eventually allowed the U.S. to launch «defensive strikes» from Royal Air Force bases after Trump slammed him as «not Winston Churchill.»
nato, russia, united kingdom, vladimir putin
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Reactions poured in Thursday after first lady Melania Trump issued a rare on-camera statement forcefully rebuking allegations linking her to disgraced financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking earlier in the day, Melania Trump said she was never friends with Epstein or his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and stressed that neither played any role in her introduction to her husband, President Donald Trump.
«The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,» she said. «The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.»
As she emphasized that her name never appeared in court documents related to Epstein, several political figures quickly took to social media to publicly rally in support of the first lady.
MELANIA TRUMP DENOUNCES ‘LIES’ CONNECTING HER WITH DISGRACED FINANCIER JEFFREY EPSTEIN IN WHITE HOUSE EVENT
First lady Melania Trump speaks to reporters Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., a leading congressional voice calling for the release of the Epstein files, praised Melania on X with a photo saying, «Melania Trump stands with Epstein victims.»
She also applauded Melania for championing legislation that criminalizes the sharing of fake intimate images of women.
«Thank you to our First Lady for being a voice for victims across the country. From her work on the Take It Down Act to publicly standing for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and calling for action and the truth,» she said.
«The truth will prevail. America is strong when strong women stand up for what is right.»
VOGUE’S ANNA WINTOUR TAKES SWIPE AT MELANIA TRUMP’S STYLE WHILE PRAISING LIBERAL FAVORITES
Rep. Nancy Mace speaks on July 22 at a House Oversight Committee hearing, (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has pushed for the release of documents through the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which he co-authored with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., addressed Melania’s effort to bring survivors in for congressional testimony and said leadership should face consequences over their handling of the files, including recently ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi.
«First Lady asks Congress to bring Epstein survivors in for testimony. With all due respect, that’s @DAGToddBlanche’s job!,» he said.
«@RepRoKhanna & I already gave brave survivors a chance to tell their horrific stories on Capitol Hill. @PamBondi wouldn’t even acknowledge them. PROSECUTE!»
DAILY BEAST APOLOGIZES TO MELANIA TRUMP OVER RETRACTED EPSTEIN ALLEGATIONS ARTICLE
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie during a meeting. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., once a fierce Trump supporter before a public falling out with the president, also posted on X aligning with Melania’s remarks.
«I am grateful to the First Lady for her brave statement today about Epstein and his victims,» she said. «I agree with her that the victims should be heard. I also agree with Thomas Massie. The DOJ needs to PROSECUTE!!! And the role of Congress is to legislate, not prosecute.»
DAILY BEAST PULLS STORY ALLEGING MELANIA-EPSTEIN CONNECTION AFTER LAWYERS DISPUTE FRAMING
First lady Melania Trump said Thursday her social circles occasionally overlapped, but she was never friends with Jeffrey Epstein. (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
Democrats also took to social media after her fiery remarks.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., called on House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., to schedule a public hearing «immediately.»
«We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately,» he said in a post on X.
Rep. Robert Garcia speaks alongside other Democrats. (Getty)
He also characterized the first lady’s speech as a significant moment, saying her remarks drew renewed attention to an investigation some critics argue has not progressed far enough.
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«The First Lady said two things,» Garcia said. «1) She pushed back on Acting AG Todd Blanche & her husband’s efforts to kill this investigation. 2) She joined our efforts to call for a public hearing where survivors who choose to do so have an opportunity to testify.»
melania trump, donald trump, jeffrey epstein
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