Minnesota launches statewide fraud prevention program
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday a new statewide fraud‑prevention program and named former FBI agent and ex–Bureau of Criminal Apprehension chief Tim O’Malley as director of program integrity. The state also retained forensic firm WayPoint, led by attorney‑accountant Josiah Lamb, on a contract worth up to $200,000 to develop an anti‑fraud toolkit across agencies, following the $250 million Feeding Our Future scandal; Walz said he takes responsibility for past failures while GOP critics called for his resignation.
📌 Key Facts
- Tim O’Malley appointed director of program integrity to coordinate anti‑fraud efforts across Minnesota state government.
- Forensic firm WayPoint (CEO Josiah Lamb) contracted for up to $200,000 to build enterprise‑wide anti‑fraud policies and tools.
- Walz said he 'takes responsibility' and cited relaxed federal COVID guardrails; GOP candidates Kristen Robbins and Jordan Rasmusson criticized the move.
📊 Relevant Data
The Feeding Our Future fraud scheme involved a cast of mostly Somali defendants, with over 70 individuals charged, predominantly from Minnesota's Somali community.
Minnesota's Somali Fraud Problem — City Journal
The Somali population in Minnesota is 79,449, representing approximately 1.4% of the state's total population of about 5.7 million.
Somali population - Cultural communities — Minnesota Compass
The poverty rate among Somali Minnesotans is 36.4%, which is significantly higher than Minnesota's overall poverty rate of 9.3%.
Somali population - Cultural communities — Minnesota Compass
Minnesota's overall poverty rate in 2023 was 9.3%.
Poverty Rates in Minnesota — MN.gov