There is a troubling pattern emerging in Washington, and it deserves our attention. When government officials deflect from serious problems by playing the race card, we need to ask ourselves what they are trying to hide.
Representative Dave Min, a Democrat from California, recently stood before the House Oversight Committee and called a federal investigation into widespread fraud in Minnesota both “partisan and racist.” The hearing examined what has become an undeniable crisis of fraudulent activity involving millions of taxpayer dollars, including cases with significant participation from members of Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community.
Min’s defense was straightforward. He claimed there was no evidence of fraud “on the scale we’re talking about” in California, and suggested the Trump administration was selectively targeting Democrat-led states while giving Republican states a pass.
Here is where the story gets interesting, and where Min’s argument begins to crumble under the weight of facts.
California state auditors have repeatedly flagged major programs as “high-risk” for waste and improper payments. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, put a number on it: $72 billion. That is not a typo. California taxpayers have been robbed to the tune of $72 billion through various forms of fraud and improper payments.
During the hearing, Min stated he had concerns about the fraud occurring in Minnesota but took issue with what he characterized as selective enforcement. “I have concerns about this hearing as well as recent actions by the Trump administration,” Min said. “It’s hard for me not to look at this hearing in the context in which it’s taking place and not see this as a partisan and racist hearing.”
Even Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, has acknowledged the fraud crisis is real, admitting that “everybody could have done more” to prevent it.
Emmer did not mince words in his response to Min’s accusations. “Democrats will do anything to deflect from the fraud that has been allowed to run rampant on their watch, including playing the race card,” he said. “First, it’s not racist to call out criminal behavior. Second, I wonder what Congressman Min’s constituents have to say about him not taking fraud seriously when California taxpayers are also being robbed blind.”
This is not about politics, and it certainly is not about race. This is about accountability and the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. When billions of dollars disappear into fraudulent schemes, regardless of who perpetrates them or which state they occur in, Congress has a duty to investigate.
The question voters in California’s 47th District should be asking is this: Why is their representative more concerned with deflecting scrutiny from Minnesota than addressing the massive fraud problems in his own backyard?
When elected officials resort to accusations of racism to shut down legitimate oversight, it raises red flags. It suggests they would rather play politics than confront uncomfortable truths. The American people deserve better. They deserve representatives who will stand up against fraud wherever it occurs, who will demand accountability, and who will not hide behind inflammatory accusations when the facts become inconvenient.
Courage in leadership means calling out wrongdoing even when it is politically uncomfortable. It means putting taxpayers ahead of partisan talking points. On that measure, Representative Min’s performance at this hearing fell short.
