Comer warns Walz absence at Minnesota fraud hearing would be 'admission to guilt' by governor

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Comer warns Walz absence at Minnesota fraud hearing would be 'admission to guilt' by governor

House Oversight chairman says Minnesota governor, attorney general understand the need 'to show up and defend themselves'

Taylor Penley Fox News

Published

January 5, 2026 7:35am EST

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Walz refusing to show up in Minnesota fraud hearing would be an 'admission of guilt,' Comer says

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., joins ‘The Sunday Briefing’ to discuss an invitation for Gov. Tim Walz to testify before lawmakers on alleged fraud in Minnesota.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., warned Sunday that if Gov. Tim Walz refuses to show up to defend himself at an upcoming Minnesota fraud hearing, it would constitute an "admission to guilt."

"I think it's very likely [Walz will appear]," Comer told "The Sunday Briefing."

"We've asked not only Gov. Walz, but also Attorney General Ellison, both of whom were in Congress, who I served with in Congress, so they know the rules of Congress. They know how serious this is. This has gotten the attention of the national public… so they will have to show up and defend themselves."

Comer said the first committee hearing on the matter will occur Wednesday and will bring in more state officials with additional evidence.

TRUMP SLAMS WALZ AND NEWSOM AS 'CROOKED GOVERNORS,' ASSERTING THEIR STATES ARE AWASH WITH FRAUD

James Comer and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a side-by-side split image

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., speaks to the media in the Rayburn House Office Building on July 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (left); Tim Walz speaks onstage during 2025 SXSW Conference and Festival at the Austin Convention Center in March 2025 in Austin, Texas. (right) (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images (left); Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images (right))

Presenting that evidence publicly, he said, enables the Department of Justice to obtain more warrants related to the alleged scheme.

"We're getting reports that many of these daycares are changing their names, and they're having break-ins and mysteriously losing their files and everything else," he said, referencing the alleged daycare fraud scheme that has been under scrutiny since independent journalist Nick Shirley highlighted alleged fraud in a viral video last month.

In the video, many of the facilities appeared non-operational despite allegedly receiving millions of dollars in government aid, but critics of the video question whether the recordings occurred outside operational hours.

COMER, HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMAND ANSWERS IN MINNESOTA FRAUD HEARING, CALL ON WALZ TO TESTIFY

Quality Learning Center in Minnesota was found at the center of an alleged childcare fraud scandal in the state last month. (Madelin Fuerste/Fox News Channel)

"We're going to stay on top of this, and Wednesday is going to be the first big day, and hopefully there'll be more arrests coming soon," Comer added.

Walz has publicly acknowledged the fraud and pledged to tackle it, saying the situation "is on my watch" and that he is "accountable" for fixing it, even as his administration has questioned some federal estimates regarding the scale of the fraud.

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Jason Chaffetz: Gov Walz, Minnesota AG need to explain alleged fraud scandal to Americans

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Walz also issued a third-party audit of Medicaid billing through Minnesota's Department of Human Services and paused payments for some services while an audit is underway, according to FOX 9 in St. Paul.

A spokesperson for Walz recently released a statement addressing the swath of allegations plaguing the state, saying, "The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and asked the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. He has strengthened oversight."

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.

Comer warns Walz absence at Minnesota fraud hearing would be 'admission to guilt' by governor