Is This the Smoking Gun That Could Land Tim Walz in Prison?https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/01/07/is-this-the-smoking-gun-that-could-land-tim-walz-in-prison-n4947996Mere days ago, Gov. Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid amid the ongoing fraud scandal in his state, but his troubles may have only begun. A damning legislative audit released the following day revealed that his Department of Human Services (DHS) fabricated records, backdated documents, and failed to verify recipients of taxpayer-funded grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It not only undermines Walz’s rhetoric about fighting fraud but could also prove to be the smoking gun that leads to criminal charges.
Legislative Auditor Judy Randall told lawmakers Monday that her office had uncovered something she had never seen in nearly three decades on the job: proof that state employees systematically created and altered documents to conceal mismanagement. "We have never been able to prove it, to document it, and we did in this case," Randall said during a nearly three-hour hearing. She described her team’s findings as a "systemic effort" to fabricate documentation that did not previously exist.
I’ve been saying for weeks that $9 billion in fraud doesn’t just happen without being noticed. This report appears to prove it.
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One case stands out as particularly egregious. Auditors discovered an organization that received $672,647.78 for a single month of work but could not provide "detailed invoices or program participant data" to justify the payment. The total grant agreement for that organization was valued at $1.6 million.
But here’s where things get really shady. The grant manager who approved that payment left DHS just days later and became a paid consultant for the same company.
“Today’s shocking report by the Legislative Auditor shows a culture of pervasive fraud, negligence, and deception. We need answers immediately about the apparent backdating and potential falsification of documents found during the audit,” House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-District 13A) said. “This proves once again that those running our programs expect no repercussions or accountability from Governor Walz or the Democrats in power, even when they fabricate documents and ignore basic procedures. It’s time to clean house and restore honesty and accountability in state agencies.”
The headline may be excessively optimistic. The investigation is at the stage of gathering evidence that will prove how far up the chain of authority the fraud goes. At least hypothetically, Timmy was cluelessly trust corrupt people. Another interesting question is whether the corruption predates Timmy.
How deep is the well Timmy is in, and how loudly and long will Lassie be laughing?
