Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey appeared in a televised interview with NBC News anchor Kristen Welker, where he was questioned about leadership in Minnesota following a series of high-profile taxpayer fraud cases tied to government programs.
The exchange focused on whether Minnesota Governor Tim Walz did enough to prevent fraud in the state and how Democratic leadership has responded after dozens of individuals were charged and convicted.
Welker opened the discussion by directly addressing the scope of the fraud cases and Walz’s record as governor.
“Let me ask you about the leadership in your state. Dozens of people in Minnesota have been charged and convicted with stealing millions of dollars of taxpayer money for government programs. Do you think Governor Walz did enough to stop the fraud in your state, and do you support his decision not to run for re election?” Welker asked.
The fraud cases referenced in the interview stem from investigations that uncovered widespread misuse of public funds intended for social service and aid programs.
Federal and state prosecutors have charged numerous individuals, with several convictions already secured.
The cases have drawn national attention and raised questions about oversight, accountability, and the effectiveness of state-level controls.
Frey responded by defending Walz’s record, pointing to policy achievements during his tenure as governor rather than directly addressing the fraud allegations at the outset.
“Well, look, Governor Walz is the reason that we’ve got paid family leave in Minnesota. He’s the reason we’ve got free school lunches. Him and I, we’ve been through thick and thin,” Frey said.
Welker followed up by pressing the mayor to answer the question more directly, repeating her concern about fraud prevention.
“But did he do enough to combat fraud? Mayor, did he do enough to combat fraud?” she asked.
Frey acknowledged shortcomings while attempting to frame them as shared responsibility across state government.
He said that additional steps could have been taken earlier but emphasized what he described as current efforts to improve oversight.
“Look, obviously, everybody could have done more to prevent fraud, and I think that’s a fair point to make do more to prevent fraud. And you look what he’s doing right now, he’s setting up a whole bunch of infrastructure to do that,” Frey said.
He also emphasized that fraud cases should be handled on an individual basis rather than attributed broadly to groups or communities.
“And by the way, look, the Fraud is real. We’ve all got to acknowledge it. The fraud is very real. And and by the way, when somebody commits fraud, and there are many that have done that, you investigate it, you charge, you prosecute and yeah, you put the person in jail as an individual. You put the person in jail as an individual. You do not hold an entire community, any community, accountable for the actions of individuals,” Frey added.
WATCH: