USDA suspends ‘federal financial awards’ for Minnesota, citing ‘massive fraud’ | EUROtoday

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has introduced that her company is “suspending federal financial awards” to Minnesota and Minneapolis, citing proof of “fraud” discovered by the Trump administration.

Rollins printed a letter Friday addressed to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, asserting the suspension of “all active awards and any future awards from USDA to the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis, currently totaling over $129.18 million.”

She additionally instructed Minnesota officers to “provide the USDA with payment justifications for all federal dollar expenditures from January 20, 2025, to the present” within 30 days. The Independent has contacted Walz and Frey for comment.

The Independent has contacted the USDA for more information on which programs will be impacted by this suspension.

The decision comes days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Protests have since erupted in Minneapolis and other cities across the U.S., including Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.

In a social media post announcing the decision, Rollins said the Trump administration has “uncovered massive fraud” and that “those in charge have ZERO plan to fix. it.”

Rollins additionally wrote in her letter that “numerous non-profits and businesses have defrauded the federal government” whereas Walz and Frey have been in workplace. Rollins particularly cited the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, which first emerged in 2022.

Dozens of individuals have been convicted in reference to the scheme, which prosecutors have mentioned concerned the theft of thousands and thousands of {dollars} from a federal program designed to feed kids through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department has characterised it as the most important COVID-19 fraud scheme within the U.S., and in March, Walz mentioned he was “furious” with “criminals that preyed on the system that was meant to feed children.”

This comes as federal officers say they’re investigating alleged widespread social companies fraud within the state.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned final month ICE brokers had been “conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent additionally introduced a collection of initiatives “to combat rampant government benefits fraud” in Minnesota on Friday.

Last month, Walz mentioned he welcomes any assist to battle fraud in Minnesota.

“You commit fraud in Minnesota, you’re going to prison. I don’t care what color you are, what religion you are. Anybody who wants to help us in that, we welcome that,” he mentioned on the time.

Walz additionally introduced Monday that he is not going to search a 3rd time period in workplace, following weeks of heightened concern about fraud schemes within the state. While Walz has confronted criticism from the Trump administration over the scandals, he has not been accused of wrongdoing.

This is a breaking information story. Check again for updates.