“RESIGN” – Time Running Out for Tim Walz

On the final broadcast of 2025, we found ourselves talking about something that feels all too familiar: a government scandal that refuses to stay buried, no matter how hard some would like to move on. This time, the spotlight remains firmly on Minnesota – and on growing calls for Governor Tim Walz to resign amid what federal prosecutors are now describing as “industrial-scale” fraud.

As reported by CBS News:

A group of Minnesota House and Senate Republicans is calling on Gov. Tim Walz to resign over accusations that as much as $9 billion paid through state services during his administration could be fraudulent.

State Sens. Bill Lieske and Nathan Wesenberg and state Reps. Marj Fogelman, Drew Roach and Mike Wiener released the joint statement on Monday.

“This is not about politics or stunts, and we do not make a call like this lightly. The office of the governor deserves respect, and we have tried to give Gov. Walz time to act.But leadership means doing the right thing even when it is difficult, which is why we are calling on Gov. Walz to resign,” the statement said in part.

In response, the governor’s office said Walz has been working for years to crack down on fraud and has asked the state Legislature for more authority to take aggressive action.

This isn’t the kind of story you expect to dominate the news cycle on New Year’s Eve. Typically, this is a day for reflection, resolutions, and maybe a little optimism about the year ahead. But instead, we’re watching federal agencies freeze funding, lawmakers invoke constitutional recall provisions, and congressional committees prepare hearings that could fundamentally reshape what we know about oversight and accountability in that state.

Now the Department of Health and Human Services has frozen roughly $185 million in childcare-related funding to Minnesota. That’s not a symbolic move. That’s a federal agency saying that something is so wrong here that we cannot keep writing checks until we get answers. And those answers are becoming harder to avoid.

What makes this story so difficult to dismiss is its sheer scope. What began years ago as isolated cases of COVID-relief fraud has now grown into something far larger. Federal prosecutors estimate nearly $9 billion in fraudulent activity connected to Minnesota programs. That’s not a typo. Billion – with a “B.”

We’ve learned about massive abuse tied to pandemic relief, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and now higher education. According to the Department of Education, investigatorshave uncovered more than 1,800 “ghost students” – nonexistent or ineligible individuals used to siphon off approximately $12.5 million in federal grants and loans. These aren’t paperwork errors. They’re systemic failures.

And yet, almost on cue, the spin machine kicked into gear, trying to label it as old news, or just a few bad actors who were convicted – and we should all just move on. But that narrative collapses under even minimal scrutiny. The early cases weren’t the end of the story; they were only the beginning. The convictions from years ago didn’t expose a resolved problem – they exposed one that kept growing while oversight lagged behind.

When a U.S. Attorney says that the magnitude of fraud “cannot be overstated,” that “it isn’t isolated,” and that it’s overwhelming the system – that’s not partisan commentary. That’s a warning. This is not about attacking a state or scoring political points. Fraud exists everywhere. But when government systems become so loose, so rushed, or so ideologically protected that basic safeguards disappear, taxpayers pay the price. Worse, the people who truly need them just lose trust in programs that are supposed to help them.

This story also underscores a larger issue we’ll continue to face in 2026: the changing nature of media and accountability. Information moves faster than ever, but corrections and consequences move painfully slow. Narratives harden before facts are fully examined, and once a version of the story takes hold, undoing it becomes nearly impossible – even when the evidence says otherwise. That’s why oversight matters. That’s why hearings matter. And that’s why transparency matters, regardless of who holds office.

As we step into a new year, there’s a temptation to say, Let’s just turn the page. But unresolved questions don’t disappear when the calendar flips. Minnesota’s situation deserves answers – not slogans, not deflection, not selective memory.

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that accountability doesn’t arrive on its own. It requires pressure, persistence, and a willingness to follow the facts wherever they lead. Here’s hoping 2026 brings more of that – and fewer stories like this one.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of this fraud disaster in Minnesota and calls for Governor Tim Walz to step down. We were also joined on the broadcast by my dad, ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, as we recapped some of our legal victories in 2025, thanks to the support of our ACLJ Champions and members, who make them possible.

Watch the full broadcast below: