House Judiciary Subcommittee to Probe Minnesota Fraud Scandals in Upcoming Hearing

The House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance will hold a hearing on January 21 focused on multiple fraud scandals that have rocked Minnesota in recent years. The hearing, titled “When Public Frauds are Abused: Addressing Fraud and the Theft of Taxpayer Dollars,” will feature testimony from Nick Shirley, a YouTuber and freelance journalist credited with helping to uncover an extensive fraud network in the state.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who chairs the subcommittee, expressed concern about the situation in Minnesota. “I pulled up earlier today a report from last July, and they’re interviewing Minnesota residents,” Biggs told Fox News Digital. “You can’t keep anything on your porch or in your yard because it gets stolen, you get your windows broken out of your car. It seems lawless.”

The hearing comes amid ongoing investigations into what federal prosecutors have described as one of the largest COVID-relief fraud schemes on record. In 2022, federal officials launched an investigation into Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that allegedly served as a key driver of the fraud operation. Authorities have uncovered an estimated $250 million in fraudulent claims thus far, resulting in criminal charges against 78 individuals. Prosecutors believe the total scope of the alleged fraud may ultimately approach $9 billion.

In addition to Shirley, the hearing will include testimony from Jennifer Larson, CEO of the Holland Autism Center and Clinic, and Scott Dexter, a former Minnesota police officer and fraud investigator. Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will join members of the subcommittee during the hearing.

Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), who will also attend the hearing, emphasized its importance in promoting “transparency, accountability and safeguards that prevent this kind of abuse from happening again.”

“The scale of fraud uncovered in Minnesota is staggering, and it represents an egregious abuse of federal taxpayer dollars by criminal actors,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “The House Judiciary Committee is committed to exposing the full scope of that fraud, understanding how it was carried out, and ensuring that taxpayer funds intended to help vulnerable Americans are not diverted into the pockets of criminals.”

The fraud investigations have recently intersected with immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security launched a major operation in the state to locate and arrest illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, including those potentially connected to the fraud scandal. This enforcement action has involved an unprecedented deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the region.

Tensions escalated last week in south Minneapolis when an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during a federal enforcement operation. Authorities claim Good’s vehicle charged toward agents on the street. The incident triggered widespread protests and unrest throughout the city.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem characterized Good’s actions as “domestic terrorism,” alleging she attempted to use her vehicle against federal officers. DHS revealed Wednesday that the officer who shot Good suffered internal bleeding as a result of the incident.

The upcoming congressional hearing represents a significant step in addressing the complex web of fraud that has affected Minnesota’s public assistance programs and federal COVID relief funds. With potentially billions of taxpayer dollars at stake, lawmakers are seeking both accountability for past abuses and preventative measures to protect against future fraud.

As the investigation continues to unfold, the congressional examination may provide new insights into how such extensive fraud schemes operated and what systemic vulnerabilities allowed them to flourish within Minnesota’s public assistance programs.