New Poll Shows Fraud Scandal Has Minnesota Democrats on the Edge of a Political Disaster

FBI Director Kash Patel says Minnesota fraudsters stole children's meal money and bought mansions and sports cars.

Governor Tim Walz already quit his reelection race over the scandal swallowing his state.

Now a brand new poll shows exactly how much trouble Walz left behind for the Democrats replacing him.

FBI Director Puts a Number on Minnesota's Fraud Machine

Kash Patel told reporters investigators have traced $250 million stolen from a program meant to feed hungry kids during the pandemic.

The scheme ran through a Somali-linked nonprofit called Feeding Our Future.

Prosecutors say the group registered roughly 300 phony meal sites that served little or no food to anyone.

Investigators say the stolen cash bought mansions and luxury cars instead of dinner for kids.

Nearly 80 people have been charged since 2022, and more than 70 have already pleaded guilty.

Investigators believe some of the stolen money was wired overseas to Somalia, with a portion possibly reaching the terror group al-Shabaab.

The meal fraud is just one piece of it.

State investigators are separately probing 62 daycare providers accused of billing Minnesota for child care they never delivered out of empty storefronts.

A Pennsylvania case even uncovered what prosecutors dubbed "fraud tourists," two Philadelphia men who marketed themselves as "The Housing Guys" and filed fake claims into Minnesota's housing program from over a thousand miles away.

Federal prosecutors have called it the largest COVID-era fraud scheme uncovered anywhere in the country.

Walz Quit the Race but Left Klobuchar and Flanagan Holding the Bag

Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid back in January rather than face voters over the scandal.

Walz did admit some responsibility, saying "I am accountable for this, and more importantly, I am the one that will fix it."

He also tried to wave away the damage, calling a $9 billion federal estimate of Medicaid fraud "sensationalized."

Minnesota voters do not appear to be buying it.

A new Co/efficient poll taken September 14 and 15 has Amy Klobuchar clinging to a 47 to 45 percent lead over Republican Lisa Demuth in the governor's race.

That gap sits well inside the poll's margin of error.

The Senate race is even tighter, with Walz's own lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, sitting at 43 percent against Republican Michele Tafoya's 42 percent.

On the generic ballot, Republicans are actually ahead, 47 percent to 46 percent, in a state Democrats have not lost at the presidential level since 1972.

Republican Senate contender Adam Schwarze summed up the mood the day Walz bailed out.

"In the military, if your squad fails the mission, you certainly don't get a promotion," Schwarze said.

Flanagan stood next to Walz for years while his state burned through the largest COVID fraud scheme in the country.

Amy Klobuchar could have stayed safe in her U.S. Senate seat, but she jumped into the governor's race instead, leaving Flanagan to defend the fraud mess on the ballot alone.

Minnesota Looks Like New Jersey All Over Again

Minnesota's meltdown looks a lot like New Jersey in 2024, when gold bars found in Bob Menendez's closet turned a safe Democrat Senate seat into a real fight.

Fraud scandals do not just embarrass a party – they change how swing voters see everything else that party promises.

Once voters believe Democrats let insiders steal hundreds of millions meant for hungry kids, tax hikes and spending plans stop sounding trustworthy too.

Walz raised taxes by billions and burned through an 18 billion dollar surplus while this fraud metastasized under his nose.

The Somalia money trail alone should worry every voter watching this race.

Investigators say stolen taxpayer cash may have helped fund a terror network overseas.

Democrats treated Minnesota as untouchable for decades. This fraud investigation just proved nobody in charge was watching the register.

Demuth and Tafoya do not need to convince anyone fraud happened – they just need Minnesota voters to remember who was driving when the money disappeared.

Sources:

• Breitbart News, "Poll: Virtual Tie in Both Governor and Senate Races in Fraud-Struck Minnesota," Breitbart, September 15, 2026.
• Fox News Staff, "Minnesota Social Services Fraud Scandal Grows Under Gov. Tim Walz' Watch," Fox News, 2026.
• Fox News Staff, "'You Don't Get a Promotion': GOP Rival Urges Peggy Flanagan to Quit Senate Race After Walz Bows Out," Fox News, 2026.
• NRSC, "New Poll: Fraud Scandal Puts Minnesota Senate Seat in Play for Republicans," NRSC.org, January 9, 2026.