Minnesota governor defends anti‑fraud efforts and alleges federal agents violated residents’ rights

The governor of Minnesota used an appearance to defend the state’s anti‑fraud program and to accuse unnamed federal agents of rights violations, saying state officials will continue criminal enforcement and administrative oversight.

Speaking at a hearing where he said he had been invited to discuss program integrity, the governor framed anti‑fraud work as a long‑standing priority, saying Minnesota has invested in schools, health care and jobs while also strengthening safeguards. "If you defraud public programs, if you steal taxpayer money, we'll find you. We'll prosecute you. We'll convict you, and we'll throw you in jail," he said.

The governor said Minnesota has taken concrete steps to bolster program integrity, including appointing a head of program integrity, creating an inspector general position at the Minnesota Department of Education and directing data‑driven reviews at the Department of Human Services. He said his administration has worked with state, federal and tribal law enforcement "to make sure that fraudsters go to jail." He added that cooperation with the FBI and the Department of Justice has produced "serious criminal charges for over 75 individuals," a figure he presented as a sign of enforcement activity.

In a series of pointed allegations, the governor accused the federal government of sending "masked, untrained, and unaccountable agents" to Minnesota under the banner of combating fraud. He alleged those agents "have entered U.S. citizens' homes who have committed no crimes" and said, "They have violated the constitutional rights of our citizens." He also said agents "have shot first and asked questions later" and accused federal actors of trying to "gaslight" the public.

To illustrate the human toll, the governor described disturbing scenes he said resulted from federal operations, including "the fragile innocence of the 5‑year‑old boy in a bunny hat being led away from his family" and "the lifeless bodies of Renee Good and Alex Prey," which he used to underscore the consequences he described. He warned that even after prosecutions and federal activity end, Minnesotans "will still be picking up the pieces."

The governor framed his stance as a balance between compassion and enforcement, saying the state will continue to feed children, help people afford health care and assist people with disabilities while keeping fraud in check. He closed by saying he looked forward to questions at the hearing.

The governor made several factual claims — including the number of criminal charges and detailed allegations about federal agents' conduct — that were presented to the hearing audience; the transcript contains those assertions but does not include independent verification or responses from federal authorities. The hearing was a forum for the governor to outline policy priorities and to challenge federal enforcement tactics as described in his remarks.