Flanagan and Tafoya Clash Over Minnesota Fraud Oversight

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michele Tafoya clashed over responsibility for fraud oversight during a debate Friday, with Tafoya accusing Flanagan of sharing blame and Flanagan pointing to Gov. Tim Walz’s role. Asked whether she bore responsibility for fraud that occurred during the Walz administration, Flanagan said the governor had oversight and that “the buck stops with him.” She also described areas where she had taken the lead, including paid family and medical leave, a child tax credit and school meals. Tafoya argued that Flanagan, as lieutenant governor and a senior member of the administration, should be accountable for fraud involving public programs. She said she would seek tougher penalties for people convicted of fraud and greater federal scrutiny of states that fail to protect taxpayer funds. Her proposals included mandatory prison minimums for U.S. citizens convicted of defrauding others and deportation for noncitizens convicted of similar offenses. Flanagan said she was angry about the misuse of taxpayer funds and agreed with Walz that more should have been done sooner. The candidates also disputed the political...