• Facebook
• Twitter
• Threads
• Flipboard
• Comments
• Print
• Email
• Add Fox News on Google

Nearly 100 Minnesota mayors sound alarm over state fraud scandal

South St. Paul Mayor Jimmy Francis and Crosslake Mayor Jackson Purfeerst discuss the alleged fraud scandal under Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and who should be held accountable on ‘Fox & Friends.’

Two of the nearly 100 Minnesota mayors demanding answers about the state’s unfolding fraud crisis described a climate of relentless uncertainty that has left some constituents "scared" about what lies ahead.

"My community is reaching out to me because they're not getting answers from DHS, from other legislators, and they're scared. There's so much unknown… and, as a mayor, we are the front line. We try to help them," South St. Paul Mayor Jimmy Francis said on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday.

So far, that help has involved putting concerned constituents in contact with county officials to find the answers they seek.

"Those that are receiving those benefits are really scared and frightened of what's next because they don't know," he added.

COMER SUMMONS MINNESOTA OFFICIALS AS HOUSE PROBES MASSIVE SOCIAL SERVICES FRAUD

Crosslake, Minnesota, Mayor Jackson Purfeerst, left, and South St. Paul, Minnesota, Mayor Jimmy Francis, right. (Fox & Friends)

The scandal dates back to at least 2020 and involves fraudulent billing for a wide range of government services. It largely involves, but is not limited to, the state's Somali community.

Crosslake, Minnesota, Mayor Jackson Purfeerst spearheaded a letter co-signed by nearly 100 mayors to Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials on Monday, expressing deep concerns over the development.

"Fraud, unchecked spending and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities. … Our state owes it to our citizens to practice responsible fiscal management and to stop taxing our families, seniors and businesses out of Minnesota," the letter reads in part.

Purfeerst said the number of mayors signing on to the letter is growing and stressed the extent of the crisis afflicting Minnesotans.

AGRICULTURE SECRETARY DEMANDS MINNESOTA FIX SNAP BENEFITS FOR 4 COUNTIES IMMEDIATELY UNDER PILOT PROGRAM

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sits for an interview with Star Tribune journalists in his office at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Dec. 12, 2024. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"If we do the quick math, $9 billion in fraud divided by 5.79 million Minnesotans comes out to roughly be 1,500 bucks a person that each hardworking Minnesotan has had stolen from them," he said.

Walz, who is runningfor a third term, took accountability in recent remarks to reporters.

"This is on my watch. I am accountable for this. And more importantly, I am the one that will fix it," he said.

But Walz questioned whether federal prosecutors' accusations that the fraud could have totaled in the billions were politically motivated.

"You should be equally outraged about $1 or whatever that number is, but they're using that number without the proof behind it," Walz said. "But to extrapolate what that number is for sensationalism, or to make statements about it, it doesn't really help us."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

• ·2021北京上林马术中央公园“上林”UP联赛第二站在秋雨中拉开战幕
• ·甄子丹回应带辛芷蕾入行：终究是靠她自己
• ·2025年精选听了想哭的歌词2条
• ·马龙刘诗雯亮相三里屯 演绎热爱可抵岁月漫长
• ·植物大战僵尸融合版究极植物怎么解锁 究极植物解锁攻略
• ·王霜：未来仍有留洋计划
• ·《武玮先生有一串珊瑚》(武玮演唱)的文本歌词及LRC歌词
• ·สภาพอากาศกรุงเทพฯ 6 โมงเย็น ไม่มีฝน อุณหภูมิ 30 องศาฯ
• ·中新网评：109人炒股群108个托，警惕围猎式骗局
• ·全国铁路今起实行新列车运行图 注意这些车次有调整
• ·非氪金玩家也可变土豪《醉武侠》可得元宝
• ·智慧与创新同行，智能垃圾桶引领行业先锋
• ·那一碟与夏日一样清爽的小菜:凉拌酸辣藕片
• ·AI双赋能：小明机器人筑牢围棋教学与测评新基石
• ·周鹏手感火热助广东队横扫天津晋级八强，将战浙江男篮
• ·马龙刘诗雯亮相三里屯 演绎热爱可抵岁月漫长