Hold onto your hats, folks—Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is under fire for allegedly ignoring a multimillion-dollar fraud scandal in state-funded day care programs that could make even the most hardened taxpayer wince.

Republican State Rep. Kristin Robbins has accused Walz of turning a blind eye to rampant fraud among day care providers receiving public funds, a claim amplified by recent viral footage showing empty facilities still cashing hefty state checks, as the New York Post reports.

This mess started gaining traction back in February 2024, when Robbins, chairwoman of the Minnesota Fraud Committee, raised alarms during a hearing about suspicious activities in these programs.

Whistleblower Warnings Ignored by Administration

Robbins didn’t just whisper her concerns—she handed the Department of Human Services a detailed list of providers, including one facility dubbed Quality Learning Center, that were raking in over $1 million in taxpayer money despite glaring violations.

“I gave the Department of Human Services a list of day care providers getting over $1 million in the previous year from the state who had numerous violations, and this day care was one of them on the list,” Robbins said.

Now, let’s unpack that—handing over a list of red flags and seeing no action smells like bureaucratic neglect at best, or willful ignorance at worst, leaving hardworking Minnesotans footing the bill for phantom services.

Viral Footage Exposes Empty Day Cares

Fast forward to last week, when independent journalist Nick Shirley dropped a bombshell with viral video evidence showing Quality Learning Center and other facilities eerily empty, despite pocketing millions in state funds.

Quality Learning Center alone reportedly received $4 million, yet not a single child was in sight—heck, even their signage was misspelled, which hardly screams “trustworthy stewardship of public dollars.”

This isn’t just a paperwork error; it’s a glaring signal that oversight in Minnesota’s day care funding system might be as absent as the kids in these centers.

State Branded as Fraud Epicenter

Robbins hasn’t minced words, painting Minnesota as a hotbed for mismanagement across multiple state programs, not just day cares, with taxpayers left holding the bag.

“In Minnesota, we’ve been ground zero for fraud, unfortunately,” Robbins declared, pointing to a pattern of systemic failures that should have any fiscal conservative reaching for the smelling salts.

Her critique stings, but it’s hard to argue when you’ve got empty buildings collecting millions while the administration seemingly hits the snooze button on accountability.

Late Response Sparks Further Outrage

Only in the past couple of weeks, after public outrage boiled over, has the Walz administration started pausing new provider approvals and halting some payments, a move Robbins calls too little, too late.

Governor Walz, who’s remained silent on this scandal despite requests for comment, now faces calls from Robbins and other Republicans to step down, with doubts lingering about whether his lieutenant governor could clean up the mess either.

While it’s easy to demand resignations, the real fix lies in rooting out this culture of oversight failures—something Minnesota families, who rely on honest day care services, deserve without delay.