Tensions between the federal government and Minnesota state officials are boiling over after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Democratic Governor Tim Walz of refusing to provide him with basic security during a scheduled interview at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Bessent, in a no-holds-barred interview with conservative activist Chris Rufo on The Blaze, called Walz “a coward” who is “afraid of what’s coming,” referencing the Treasury Department’s deepening investigation into what it calls “rampant” benefits fraud in Minnesota. The planned sit-down at the Capitol had to be moved to another location after Walz reportedly declined to guarantee police protection for the nation’s top Treasury official.
“Tim Walz is a coward. He is a coward,” Bessent said, repeating the charge and making it clear that he believes the governor is stonewalling and dodging accountability as the probe accelerates. “He’s not going to be able to hide behind this curtain,” Bessent added. “We will get there.”
Walz’s office has yet to issue a direct response, though The Daily Wire reached out for comment.
The interview took place as protests roil the Twin Cities following the death of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent. Walz himself appeared at a vigil at the state capitol, surrounded by state troopers — a sharp contrast to the lack of protection offered to Bessent.
The stakes are rising. Bessent is in Minnesota to oversee the federal crackdown on what officials are calling a massive fraud operation involving the misuse of welfare funds — allegedly funneled into Somali-led fraud rings, with some of that money suspected of making its way overseas to East Africa, and even to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
“There’s tons of luxury properties and cars that have been bought over there,” Bessent told Rufo. “How the hell does this happen? President Trump is outraged. I’m outraged. The American people should be outraged.”
The investigation is uncovering possible links to high-ranking state officials, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Bessent hinted that Ellison may have been involved in questionable meetings with donors tied to the now-infamous Feeding Our Future scandal — a massive fraud case that already led to federal indictments.
“There are evidently some disturbing tapes of AG Ellison in meetings with people who donated to him — them calling for political favors to stop the investigations,” Bessent claimed. While he didn’t confirm specifics, the comment appeared to reference a 2021 meeting Ellison held with individuals connected to the fraud ring. A 55-minute recording later revealed Ellison criticized a state investigation into the scheme as “racist” and “Islamophobic.”
Ellison’s office responded by pointing to a 2023 op-ed in which he claimed he “did nothing for them and took nothing from them.”
Meanwhile, as protests against ICE enforcement heat up, the Walz administration filed a lawsuit attempting to block the federal deployment of over 1,000 Border Patrol agents to Minnesota. Attorney General Ellison accused the federal government of “targeting” Minnesota for its “diversity” and “differences of opinion.” But Bessent isn’t buying it.
“When the bear trap snaps,” he warned, “we’re going to get these folks.”
As the fraud probe accelerates and tempers flare, one thing is clear: the fight between federal investigators and Minnesota’s progressive leaders is only just beginning — and the battle lines are drawn.
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