The Feeding Our Future scheme took advantage of emergency flexibilities implemented during the pandemic. Under federal rules, organizations could claim reimbursement for providing free meals to children, even outside school settings. According to federal prosecutors, dozens of individuals and organizations exploited these flexibilities by:
Submitting inflated meal counts. Claiming fictitious sites serving nonexistent children. Using federal funds to purchase luxury cars, international travel, real estate, and personal items. What began as a program designed to ensure children had access to food during lockdowns allegedly turned into a coordinated effort to siphon federal money on an unprecedented scale.
Governor Walz Responds — Strong Denials and Acknowledgment of Oversight Failures
Governor Walz addressed the allegations publicly in June 2024, offering a direct response to critics and investigators.
He denied any intentional wrongdoing and insisted that his administration operated under intense pressure at the height of the pandemic, during a period when emergency programs were expanding rapidly.
Walz stated that: MDE staff may not have performed adequate due diligence. The pace and scale of the pandemic created unprecedented operational challenges. His administration acted “in good faith” throughout the emergency period
He rejected claims that state officials knowingly ignored wrongdoing, emphasizing that Minnesota worked closely with federal authorities once concerns were raised.
Walz said: “We acted based on the information we had, under circumstances no state had ever experienced. There was no intent to overlook fraud.”
Supporters of the Governor argue that the federal government itself approved the reimbursement system and was responsible for setting the rules. Critics contend the state failed to act quickly enough when irregularities surfaced.
