House Oversight Chair Seeks Minnesota Audit Files, DHS Commissioner Testimony in Fraud Probe Expansion

House Oversight Chair James Comer is widening his investigation into alleged large‑scale social‑services fraud in Minnesota by demanding internal files from the state’s Office of the Legislative Auditor and summoning temporary Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi for a transcribed interview on January 30, 2026. In a letter to Legislative Auditor Judy Randall, Comer asks for a staff‑level briefing plus all underlying documents and communications related to OLA reviews of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, citing a fresh performance audit that found DHS’s Behavioral Health Administration "did not comply with most requirements" tested and lacked adequate internal controls over grant funds from mid‑2022 through 2024. A separate letter warns Gandhi that if she does not appear voluntarily, the committee will consider "compulsory process," effectively threatening a subpoena. Oversight’s press release again claims criminals in Minnesota have stolen an estimated $9 billion in taxpayer funds meant for child nutrition, autism services, housing and Medicaid, figures that have become central to a broader Trump‑era push to use Minnesota as a model for a national fraud and clawback campaign. The moves layer an additional House committee onto existing Energy & Commerce and HHS investigations, increasing pressure on Minnesota officials and signaling that Congress intends to treat state‑level audit failures as a federal oversight and policy problem, not just a local scandal.