Education Secretary Demands Minnesota Governor's Resignation Over Fraud Scandal
On December 16, 2025, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urging him to resign amid a significant fraud scandal affecting Minnesota's education system. McMahon accused Walz of oversight failures that allowed extensive fraud to proliferate, including the involvement of international fraudsters, notably from Somalia.
The letter detailed fraud within Minnesota's college education system, identifying 1,834 ghost students who obtained approximately $12.5 million in federal grants and loans. These ghost students were described as applicants who were not identity-verified, often did not reside in the United States, or were potentially nonexistent individuals.
In response to such issues, the Department of Education has implemented nationwide measures to combat ghost student fraud, including mandatory identity verification for some first-time applicants.
The letter also targeted Representative Ilhan Omar, alleging that she borrowed tens of thousands in student loans and should repay the amounts despite her $174,000 annual salary. Additionally, it characterized Minnesota as part of a broader national welfare-fraud issue encompassing housing benefits, education aid, food stamps, small-business relief, and assistance programs for the elderly and autistic children.
Governor Walz responded by announcing the launch of a new statewide prevention program in partnership with a private forensic auditing firm, taking responsibility for the situation. However, critics pointed out that no state officials had been dismissed in connection with the scandal.
