Drazkowski statement on Feeding our Future fraud audit

Minnesota State Senator Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) today issued this statement following the release of a scathing audit of Minnesota’s Department of Education (MDE) and the Feeding our Future fraud scandal. 

“Today’s Feeding Our Future audit confirms, again, the Walz administration’s complete and utter failure to prevent widescale fraud. Governor Walz must take full responsibility for these failures and come clean about how it happened for so long. Minnesotans deserve transparency and accountability from Governor Walz — empty rhetoric is unacceptable when $250 million was stolen from Minnesotans through his administration’s negligence. Those responsible must face consequences to prevent such an egregious fraud from ever recurring.” 

 KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT: 

  • MDE’s Inadequate Oversight: MDE’s lack of proper oversight allowed the exploitation of federally funded nutrition programs. Despite numerous warning signs and serious concerns raised over several years, MDE failed to take decisive actions to prevent or stop the fraud. 
  • Failure to Act on Warning Signs: MDE ignored multiple red flags before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, including significant concerns about Feeding Our Future’s ability to manage its operations and financials. 
  • Deficient Application Review: MDE repeatedly approved Feeding Our Future’s applications without verifying crucial information, despite identifying serious deficiencies in their operations. This negligence persisted even when the organization was found non-compliant in previous reviews.  
  • Inadequate Complaint Investigations: MDE’s handling of complaints was grossly insufficient. The department failed to investigate numerous complaints thoroughly and inappropriately tasked Feeding Our Future with investigating complaints against itself.  
  • Lack of Follow-Up on Serious Deficiencies: Despite finding Feeding Our Future seriously deficient on two occasions, MDE did not ensure that corrective actions were implemented, allowing the organization to continue its fraudulent activities.  
  • Pandemic-Related Oversight Failures: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated MDE’s oversight issues. Federal waivers led to a relaxation of monitoring requirements, which MDE did not effectively adapt to, further enabling fraud.