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Questioner accuses governor of complicity or negligence in social services fraud probe
Summary
At a public hearing, a questioner accused the governor of either colluding in or failing to detect an alleged multi-year social services fraud scheme, quoted contested figures about defendants' birthplaces and alleged "billions" stolen over seven-plus years; the governor's response is not recorded in the supplied transcript.
A participant at a public hearing pressed the governor over allegations of long-running fraud in the state's social services programs, saying the defendants were disproportionately born outside Minnesota and accusing the governor of either complicity or incompetence.
The questioner said, "I think it was, 85 out of 98, which comes out to 13% Minnesotan and 87% Somali, Minnesota," and added, "this is an instance perhaps of where woke gets slapped by data." The speaker later said, "there's been billions stolen over 7 plus years right under your nose," and charged that the only explanations were that the governor "was in on it" or "wasn't smart enough to, to see it," calling the alternatives "criminal negligence or wild incompetence." The exchange in the supplied transcript ends mid-question.
Why it matters: The remarks allege large-scale financial misconduct and place direct accountability questions on the governor. Those are serious charges that, if accurate, could prompt formal investigations or policy and oversight responses. The numbers and the magnitude of loss cited in the transcript are claims by the questioner; the transcript does not show any verification of the 85-of-98 figure or the alleged "billions" taken, and no response from the governor is included in the supplied segment.
What the record shows: In the provided transcript segments the only speaker is listed as a questioner; the claims are presented as assertions. The numeric claim ("85 out of 98" and the percentages given) is inconsistent with simple arithmetic and is recorded here as the speaker stated it. The amount characterized as "billions" and the seven-plus-year timeframe are quoted from the questioner and are not substantiated elsewhere in the supplied text.
Context and next steps: The supplied transcript ends while the questioner is still speaking; the record does not show a gubernatorial reply, any investigative findings, or any formal motion or vote related to these allegations. Additional reporting or official records would be needed to verify the figures, establish whether an investigation is underway, and determine any formal actions.
