2026年3月4日 / 美国东部时间下午2:58 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹和州总检察长基思·埃利森周三在众议院监督委员会听证会上接受质询，听证会聚焦于该州大规模欺诈丑闻以及特朗普政府近期的移民激增问题。
质询在很大程度上呈现党派对立。共和党人关注欺诈丑闻，而民主党人则聚焦移民打击行动，白宫也将后者描绘为打击欺诈的运动。
委员会在听证会前发布报告称，瓦尔兹和埃利森掩盖了该州欺诈证据。委员会主席、肯塔基州共和党众议员詹姆斯·科默表示，证词和文件显示瓦尔兹和埃利森“谎称了解欺诈情况，并报复敢于提出关切的员工”。
报告称，尽管明尼苏达州教育部“发现了项目严重缺陷”，仍向非营利组织“滋养我们的未来”（Feeding Our Future）支付了2.5亿美元用于欺诈计划。
瓦尔兹表示，欺诈“发生在我的任期内，无论是否早于我上任”，但他为其政府处理指控的方式以及与联邦调查的合作进行了辩护。
他和埃利森反复被追问首次得知该州欺诈情况的时间以及如何处理这些指控。
瓦尔兹和埃利森为欺诈指控处理辩护，批评特朗普移民打击行动
明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹、明尼苏达州总检察长基思·埃利森和牧师玛丽亚·托尔加德出席了在华盛顿特区举行的众议院监督与改革委员会听证会。Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
瓦尔兹在开场陈述中称，特朗普政府“以空前规模针对性地对明尼苏达州进行政治报复”。
“以打击欺诈为幌子，联邦政府向明尼苏达州派遣了未经训练、无法问责的特工，他们在我们社区造成破坏，”瓦尔兹说。
他表示，联邦特工激增被白宫声称旨在打击欺诈，但实际上损害了这一努力。瓦尔兹指出，随着移民激增，当地美国检察官办公室出现大规模辞职，可能阻碍正在进行的欺诈调查和起诉。
瓦尔兹试图反击共和党人，要求科默“致电总统，告诉他现在是时候派遣一些美国检察官到那里起诉欺诈行为了。我会支持你。”
埃利森呼应瓦尔兹的批评，称移民执法行动损害了该州。
“地铁行动（Operation Metro Surge）未能解决我们州的欺诈问题，反而损害了我们的经济，”埃利森说。
瓦尔兹还为该州的社会服务项目辩护，称“尽管明尼苏达州的项目大多实现了预期目标，但并非不会发生欺诈”。
瓦尔兹和埃利森在证人席上还包括明尼苏达州圣保罗哈姆林联合卫理公会教堂的高级牧师玛丽亚·托尔加德，她成为反对移民和海关执法局（ICE）行动的知名倡导者。托尔加德作为民主党少数派证人出席。
她表示，激增导致儿童“现在在学校练习两种演习”。
“一种是应对活跃枪手，另一种是保护自己免受政府侵害。这不是安全，而是一个国家辜负了它的孩子，”托尔加德说。
共和党人与瓦尔兹和埃利森频繁冲突，要求宣誓作证
众议员詹姆斯·科默在华盛顿特区举行的众议院监督与问责委员会听证会上发言。Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
主席科默称，明尼苏达州的欺诈是“领导失败，简单明了”。他和其他共和党人表示，瓦尔兹和埃利森应接受宣誓作证。
“有人会想，你们中的任何一个是否应该为数十亿美元被欺诈者在你们眼皮底下挪用承担个人责任？”科默说。
多数党党鞭汤姆·埃默质询埃利森2021年12月与“滋养我们的未来”非营利组织员工的会面，该组织是明尼苏达州大规模欺诈丑闻的核心。
“你个人何时意识到联邦调查局正在调查？”埃默问。在埃利森回答之前，埃默要求瓦尔兹和埃利森进行宣誓作证。
埃默指责埃利森“为换取竞选捐款而积极阻挠调查，这是一种交换”。
埃默是多位共和党人之一，他们反复追问瓦尔兹和埃利森具体何时意识到与欺诈指控和调查相关的情况。
“我们面临两个问题：一是‘瓦尔兹州长和基思·埃利森对欺诈了解多少？’二是‘他们实际何时了解？’”埃默说。
在一次特别激烈的交锋中，南卡罗来纳州共和党人南希·梅斯指责瓦尔兹听证会准备不足。她称该州自闭症项目支出大幅增加，并要求瓦尔兹解释她所谓的“明尼苏达数学”背后的原因。
“你知道明尼苏达州每个受欺诈的自闭症儿童的支出是多少吗？”梅斯问道。
瓦尔兹回应：“我不是来当你的道具的，但你继续说。”梅斯回击：“用明尼苏达数学作为道具吗？这是数学，我们在谈论欺诈。”
梅斯声称，该州自闭症项目的支出从2017年的100万美元增加到2024年的3.43亿美元。
在另一个紧张时刻，路易斯安那州众议员克莱·希金斯呼吁埃利森辞职，称他在打击欺诈方面“无所作为”。
“明尼苏达州总检察长应该辞职，”希金斯说，他重点引用了埃利森称其办公室管辖权有限的言论。
埃利森为其办公室辩护，称“我们做得超出了我们的职权范围”。
民主党人关注明尼苏达州联邦资金削减、移民和地铁行动
加利福尼亚州民主党众议员罗伯特·加西亚在华盛顿特区举行的众议院监督与政府改革委员会听证会上发表开场陈述。Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
委员会少数党成员、加利福尼亚州民主党众议员罗伯特·加西亚为委员会中的民主党人定下基调，指责特朗普政府打击欺诈的努力不真诚。加西亚称，这被用作发动“地铁行动”的借口，该行动向双子城派遣了数千名联邦特工。政府上月表示将逐步终止该行动。
加西亚称，特朗普政府“削减了食品援助和医疗保健资金”，同时“过度资助美国街头的恐怖主义”，指的是移民执法的快速扩张。
包括瓦尔兹在内的几位民主党人提到了被联邦官员枪杀的蕾妮·古德和亚历克斯·普雷蒂的死亡事件。他批评国土安全部部长克里斯蒂·诺姆最初称他们参与国内恐怖主义。诺姆当时正在国会山其他地方出席众议院司法委员会的听证会。
伊利诺伊州民主党众议员拉贾·克里希纳穆尔蒂提议委员会传召诺姆，称她自己的机构充斥着“腐败和浪费”。他指出诺姆发起了一场昂贵的广告宣传活动。
另一位民主党人、密苏里州的韦斯利·贝尔提议传召最初领导“地铁行动”的美国边境保护局指挥官格雷格·博维诺。
埃默在欺诈听证会上抨击瓦尔兹和埃利森
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch-minnesota-rep-tom-emmer-walz-ellison-house-fraud-hearing/
观看：明尼苏达州众议员汤姆·埃默在众议院欺诈听证会上抨击瓦尔兹和埃利森
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Key takeaways from the House hearing on Minnesota fraud with Tim Walz and Keith Ellison
March 4, 2026 / 2:58 PM EST / CBS News
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the state’s Attorney General Keith Ellison faced questions from the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, in a hearing that focused on the state’s massive fraud scandal and the Trump administration’s recent immigration surge.
The questions largely fell along party lines. Republicans asked about the fraud scandal, while Democrats focused on the immigration crackdown, which the White House also portrayed as a campaign against fraud.
The committee released a report before the hearing saying Walz and Ellison covered up evidence of fraud in the state. The committee’s chair, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, said testimony and documents showed Walz and Ellison “lied about their knowledge of the fraud, and retaliated against employees who dared to raise concerns.”
The report claims the Minnesota Department of Education paid into a $250 million fraud scheme by the nonprofit Feeding Our Future despite “identifying serious program deficiencies.”
Walz said the fraud “happened on my watch, whether it predated me or not,” but defended his administration’s handling of allegations, and cooperation with federal investigations.
He and Ellison were grilled repeatedly about when they first learned about fraud in the state, and how they addressed those allegations.
Walz and Ellison defended handling of fraud allegations, criticized Trump immigration crackdown
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Rev. Mariah Tollgaard attend a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2026. Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Walz said in his opening statement that the Trump administration “singled out and targeted” Minnesota “for political retribution at an unparalleled scale.”
“Under the guise of combatting fraud, the federal government has flooded Minnesota with masked, untrained and unaccountable agents who are wreaking havoc in our communities,” Walz said.
He said the surge of federal agents was billed by the White House as being intended to fight fraud, but he said it actually hurt that effort. Walz pointed to mass resignations at the local U.S. Attorney’s Office amid the surge, potentially hampering ongoing fraud investigations and prosecutions.
Walz sought to turn the tables on Republicans, asking Comer to “call the president and tell him it’s time to put some U.S. attorneys over there to prosecute fraud. I’ll sign on with you.”
Ellison echoed Walz’s criticism, saying the immigration enforcement surge hurt the state.
“Operation Metro Surge did nothing to address fraud in our state. It harmed our economy,” Ellison said.
Walz also defended the state’s social service programs, saying that “although Minnesota’s programs have overwhelmingly achieved their intended purposes, they are not immune from fraud.”
Walz and Ellison were joined at the witness table by Rev. Mariah Tollgaard, a senior pastor of Hamline Church United Methodist in St. Paul, Minnesota, who became a prominent voice advocating against the ICE operation. Tollgaard appeared as the Democratic minority’s witness.
She said the surge has led to children “now practicing two kinds of drills at schools.”
“One, for an active shooter, and one to protect themselves from their own government. That is not security. That is a nation failing its children,” Tollgaard said.
Republicans frequently clashed with Walz and Ellison, calling for sworn depositions
Rep. James Comer speaks during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2026. Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Comer, the chair, said fraud in Minnesota was a “failure of leadership, plain and simple.” He and other Republicans said Walz and Ellison should be deposed under oath.
“One wonders whether either of you should bear some personal responsibility for the billions of dollars siphoned off by fraudsters under your noses,” Comer said.
Majority Whip Tom Emmer challenged Ellison about a December 2021 meeting with staff at Feeding Our Future, the nonprofit at the center of a massive fraud scandal in the state.
“When did you personally become aware of the FBI investigation?” Emmer asked. Before Ellison could answer, Emmer demanded Walz and Ellison appear for sworn depositions.
Emmer accused Ellison of having “actively obstructed this investigation in exchange for campaign donations, a quid pro quo.”
Emmer was among several Republicans who peppered Walz and Ellison about when specifically they became aware of fraud allegations and investigations tied to them.
“We are left with two questions: One, ‘What did Gov. Walz and Keith Ellison know about the fraud?’ And two, ‘When did they actually know it?’” Emmer said.
In one particularly heated exchange, South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace accused Walz of being unprepared for the hearing. She said spending on autism programs in the state has increased dramatically, and asked Walz to explain what she called the “Minnesota math” behind that increase.
“Do you know what this is spending-wise per child in the fraud for autistic kids in Minnesota?” Mace asked.
Walz replied, “I’m not here to be your prop, but go ahead and tell us.” Mace shot back, “Is doing Minnesota math a prop? This is math, we’re talking about fraud.”
Mace claimed spending on the state’s autism programs rose from $1 million in 2017 to $343 million in 2024.
In another tense moment, Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins called on Ellison to step down from office, saying he’s “not leading” in the effort to combat fraud.
“The attorney general of the state of Minnesota should resign,” said Higgins, who focused on remarks in which Ellison said his office’s jurisdiction is limited.
Ellison defended his office, saying “we punch above our weight.”
Democrats focused on cuts to Minnesota federal funding, ICE and Operation Metro Surge
Ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia of California delivers an opening statement during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2026. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the committee, set the tone for Democrats on the committee, accusing the Trump administration of being disingenuous in its effort to root out fraud. Garcia said it was used as an excuse to launch Operation Metro Surge, an influx of thousands of federal agents into the Twin Cities. The administration said last month that it would begin to wind down the operation.
Garcia said the Trump administration has “taken from food assistance” and health care, while it
“super funded terror on American streets,” referring to the rapid expansion of immigration enforcement.
Several Democrats, including Walz, brought up the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were gunned down by federal officers. He criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who initially described them as engaging in domestic terrorism. Noem was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee elsewhere on Capitol Hill.
Illinois Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi moved for the committee to subpoena Noem, claiming that her own agency is rife with “corruption and waste.” He pointed to a pricey ad campaign featuring Noem.
Another Democrat, Missouri’s Wesley Bell, moved to subpoena Greg Bovino, the U.S. Border Protection commander who originally led Operation Metro Surge.
Emmer slams Walz, Ellison during fraud hearing
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch-minnesota-rep-tom-emmer-walz-ellison-house-fraud-hearing/
Watch: Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer lashes out at Walz, Ellison during House fraud hearing
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