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20m ago

Fact-Check Says Feds — Not Walz — Drove Minnesota Meal-Fraud Prosecutions

State employees say they warned about inflated meal claims in 2019.

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Suspected Somali pirates sit behind bars during the first hearing in their trial at Aden port court on July 15, 2009. According to the United Nations, Somali pirates collected $150 million in ransom payments from ship owners last year, while overall losses from piracy were estimated at $13-16 billion, including the soaring cost of insurance and protection for vessels, as well as sending ships on longer routes to avoid high-risk areas.AFP PHOTO/KHALED FAZAA (Photo by KHALED FAZAA / AFP) (Photo by KHALED FAZAA/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Former Minnesota education staff recount flagging anomalies in July 2019 and describe pressure from Feeding Our Future and founder Aimee Bock when reimbursements were questioned.
  • PolitiFact rated Gov. Tim Walz’s claim that he was responsible for jailing fraudsters false, noting the FBI and federal prosecutors built the cases and brought the charges.
  • Prosecutors say about $250 million was stolen through falsified meal claims; roughly 78 people have been charged, and founder Aimee Bock was convicted and plans to appeal, her attorney says.
  • CBS reports House Republicans opened an inquiry into the governor’s handling as ICE increased operations in the Twin Cities and President Donald Trump intensified criticism tied to the cases.
  • Officials say investigations remain active across related schemes, with cumulative losses in Minnesota expected to exceed $1 billion.