Flanagan admits governor should have acted sooner amid fraud scandal

Minnesota Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan pointed the finger at Gov. Tim Walz when asked about her role in the massive fraud scandal that happened under their watch. She told MSNOW on Thursday, "I would say, the governor says the buck stops with him, more should have been done sooner, and I agree." Federal investigators say this mess could total more than $9 billion. Flanagan added, "And now we know that 100 people have been charged, 60 have been convicted."

Her words sparked pushback on social media from users accusing her of deflecting responsibility since she served as Walz's second in command starting in 2019. The Republican National Committee posted on X, "Minnesota Democrat Peggy Flanagan blames Tim Walz and dodges accountability for rampant fraud in her state." Conservative radio host Larry O'Connor wrote, "She KNOWS she's vulnerable on this."

Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya, who is running against Flanagan in November, also reacted to the clip. She said, "Peggy Flanagan refuses to take any responsibility and accountability for billions of our tax dollars being stolen under her watch as lieutenant governor. Minnesotans deserve better than excuses. They deserve leaders who will take responsibility and get the job done."

Townhall columnist Dustin Grage noted, "Here is Peggy Flanagan blaming Tim Walz for the fraud. Oh yeah, she knows she's cooked if she rightfully gets tied to the fraud." The scandal ultimately pushed Walz to drop his bid for re-election. Critics have hammered his administration for not stopping a growing fraud problem that was an open secret in the state over recent years.

Flanagan's culpability will likely become a major talking point in her Senate campaign as calls for accountability pour in. No top officials have been fired or removed from office yet. Minnesota Republican State Rep. Kristin Robbins, who chaired the House Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee, posted on X this week. She wrote, "@peggyflanagan did NOTHING to protect vulnerable citizens & taxpayers despite countless whistleblower reports, Auditor reports, & criminal convictions."

Robbins continued, "Peggy Flanagan, @Tim_Walz & @keithellison protected their political base instead of stopping the fraud." Flanagan did not mention fraud during her victory speech after Tuesday night's Senate primary. This omission drew further criticism from Tafoya on social media. Fox News Digital reached out to the Flanagan campaign for comment.