(The Center Square) – The Center Square is working to confirm whether Gov. Bob Ferguson is holding a fundraising lunch on Tuesday with special guest, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is under fire after failing to stop a massive welfare fraud in his state.
If the $50-a-ticket lunch is still happening, Republicans question why Ferguson would want to be on the same stage as Walz after the national embarrassment of Somali fraudsters stealing $1 billion in Minnesota taxpayer funds and reports that of some of the money went to support a terror group.
Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh said Ferguson should have canceled the “poorly timed fundraiser,” given the fraud scandal Walz is facing.
“Ferguson is being very shady about this fundraising visit by his scandal-plagued Minnesota colleague,” he texted The Center Square. “Clearly, the growing crisis of government-benefit fraud consuming Minnesota politics right now makes the timing of this money grab questionable.”
Ferguson’s people aren’t talking despite repeated queries by The Center Square, but Washington State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad welcomed Walz to Washington.
“We are delighted to have Governor Walz visit Washington state to support Governor Ferguson,” Conrad wrote in an email to The Center Square. “Both Governor Ferguson and Governor Walz have done exemplary work leading Washington state and Minnesota during tough times. Having strong state executives, like Ferguson and Walz, is how our country will weather the storm of rising fascism from President Trump.”
As reported by The Center Square, Congress has begun an investigation into Walz related to a large-scale fraud scheme that led to hundreds of millions of dollars being stolen from Minnesota’s social welfare programs since Walz took office in January 2019.
Walz was the Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate in the 2024 election, alongside presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who served as vice president under President Joe Biden.
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent letters to Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison last week, requesting copies of all of their communication concerning fraudulent activity in several programs.
A Facebook post last week from a woman named Kate Martin, whose profile indicates she is an editor at The Seattle Journal, showed a screenshot of the luncheon announcement where Martin wrote, “You can’t make this s–t up!”
The Walz visit was posted by someone named Katherine Bobman, who was previously connected to the Benton County Central Democratic Committee. According to an email from Conrad’s office, Bobman is currently Ferguson’s finance director.
The luncheon, set for Tuesday, Dec. 9, in Seattle, indicated that a specific location would be announced “within 72 hours” of the event. It’s not clear if that has been set or whether the fundraiser will happen.
Comments to Martin’s Facebook post about the Walz visit suggested it must be a joke.
“A meeting of the [simple-minded]. Ferguson could not have selected a worse guest. This guy continues to embarrass Washington State,” read one comment.
Another comment read, “It’s like they are not even trying to hide the stupidity and corruption. The optics of this [are] amazing.”
Subsequent attempts to get further details have gone unanswered, including several emails and phone calls to Ferguson’s office.
Walsh, who also serves in the state House of Representatives, said the fundraiser, if it happens, shows Ferguson is desperate for campaign cash.
“I suspect that Ferguson is being furtive because his colleague has proven to be incompetent at answering questions about the fraud scandals,” he said. “And, if Ferguson publicized the event, there would certainly be questions. Does he not care about the taint of fraud? Does he need money that desperately?”
This is a developing story.
