Governor Tim Walz just got caught presiding over one of the most disturbing Medicaid fraud schemes in American history — and his response is to cry about "retribution."
The Trump administration announced this week it is freezing $260 million in Minnesota Medicaid funds after uncovering a systematic criminal enterprise that didn't just steal taxpayer money — it destroyed children's lives for profit. And Vice President JD Vance isn't mincing words about who's responsible.
The Scheme That Should Make Every American's Blood Boil
Here's what federal investigators found: Over 500 unlicensed "autism treatment centers" set up shop across Minnesota, convincing parents to obtain bogus autism diagnoses for their children. Parents received thousand-dollar kickbacks while these sham clinics billed Medicaid millions for services never rendered.
The fraud was so brazen it's almost unbelievable. One behavioral health organization received $11.5 million in Medicaid payments, with their top biller claiming to work more than 24 hours a day. Eight beneficiaries at one substance abuse center were already dead — but the center kept billing anyway.
But here's where it gets truly horrifying.
A military recruiter who served in Minnesota testified that 90 percent of Minneapolis public school kids were medicated on Ritalin under false autism diagnoses. Five-year-olds pumped full of medication designed for teenagers. Children who now carry fraudulent diagnoses for life — unable to even receive a high school diploma because they're classified as autistic when they're not.
"There are kids in Minnesota who deserve these services, who need these services, and they're not going to those kids — they're going to fraudsters in Minneapolis," Vice President Vance stated. "That is unacceptable."
Walz Knew — And Did Nothing
So what was Governor Tim Walz doing while children were being drugged for profit in his state? Apparently, looking the other way.
Kristen Robbins, chair of the Minnesota House Fraud Committee, dropped a bombshell: ignoring these scams was a deliberate choice by state leadership going back decades. Only six of more than 500 treatment centers even bothered to apply for licensing. The state couldn't conduct surprise inspections because these centers operated completely outside any oversight.
And Walz's response when caught? He claims he's "the angriest person" about the fraud — then immediately pivots to calling Trump's investigation "weaponization" and "retribution against blue states."
Which is it, Tim? Are you angry about the fraud, or angry that someone finally stopped it?
Dr. Oz Lays Out the Criminal Reality
Dr. Oz, now leading the charge at CMS, made the administration's position crystal clear: "CMS is done paying and chasing. We don't think jail sentences are the right way out — these criminals flee the country, many are foreign nationals. Instead, the money's not going to ever leave the building again."
The schemes disproportionately targeted immigrant communities, where fraudsters could organize efforts among populations that were insulated and sometimes didn't understand what was happening. Meanwhile, American children who genuinely need autism services got nothing.
This Is What Accountability Looks Like
President Trump promised to drain the swamp and protect American families from corrupt bureaucrats who see children as profit centers. This action proves he meant it.
While Walz screams about "weaponization," parents are finally getting justice for what these criminals did to their kids. Every blue state governor running similar schemes better take notice — the gravy train of stealing federal money while harming children is officially over.
The real question every American should be asking: If they're doing this in Minnesota, what's happening in YOUR state?