Tim Walz will not seek third term as Minnesota governor amid fraud probe

According to Independent.co, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, 61, announced on Monday that he will not seek a third term as he grapples with widespread allegations of fraud in state social services and repeated attacks from President Donald Trump. Walz said he "can't give a political campaign my all" after what he characterised as an "extraordinarily difficult year for our state," though he said he believed he would have won if he remained in the race.

Federal prosecutors this month said they are investigating "suspicious billing practices" in more than a dozen Medicaid-funded programs, with early assessments indicating more than $9 billion in taxpayer dollars may have been stolen, according to The New York Times, and about 60 people have been convicted.

The federal probe began in 2022 over alleged theft of funds intended to feed children and drew renewed scrutiny after a conservative activist posted a video in December accusing Somali-run day care facilities of widespread fraud. Walz has defended his response, praised recent federal charges as part of an overhaul of social services and criticised Trump for politicising the issue and sharing conspiracy theories about him.

Key Topics

Politics, Tim Walz, Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar, Donald Trump, Medicaid