Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Faces Federal Investigation Over Child-Care Fraud Allegations

By Eric Mack | Friday, January 2, 2026

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz might already be under federal investigation for knowledge of a child-care fraud scheme involving Somali immigrants.

In remarks released Friday, McLaughlin said: “I’m not going to get too far ahead of it, but he should be aware that we’re looking at culpability in this.”

When asked about the scope of the investigation and direct connections to Walz, McLaughlin noted that Walz may be culpable or at least complicit. “How would he not? It was right under his nose.”

Walz has publicly defended his oversight over fraud allegations, but McLaughlin pointed out that he did not call in federal agencies such as the FBI or Department of Homeland Security when he claimed to have been aware of the fraud for some time.

“He said he’s been aware of fraud happening for some time: If that was actually the case, and he wasn’t worried about this voting bloc or politics, then he would have called in the FBI,” McLaughlin added.

She continued: “He would have asked Homeland Security Investigations for help if he actually cared about the citizens that he purports to serve.”

McLaughlin described the scope of the alleged fraud as making inaction inexcusable. She credited independent reporting for exposing the issue, stating: “Seeing how rampant and obvious this fraud was — that a young man, this 22-year-old Nick Shirley, he did a great service to Americans that day.”

She concluded by saying: “The Trump administration is going to deliver accountability.”