HHS probes Minnesota's use of billions in federal social service funds amid fraud concerns: report

The letters were sent Monday by Alex Adams, assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), to Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and a nonprofit involved in administering Head Start programs, the Post reported.

According to the Post, Adams said HHS is attempting to determine whether federal safety-net funds were diverted or mismanaged and whether such misuse might have "been used to fuel illegal and mass migration" into Minnesota.

Adams told the outlet the review is focused on "accountability for American taxpayers" and on ensuring federal benefit programs were not compromised.

"ACF has a duty to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure Minnesota is abiding by all applicable federal statutes and requirements," Alex Adams, assistant secretary for ACF, told Fox News Digital. "These letters are our first step in verifying only eligible individuals are receiving taxpayer funded welfare services and that they are not being diverted from the American families who need them the most."

In the letters, Adams requested what the Post described as a "comprehensive list" of all state entities that received ACF funding during that period, along with detailed administrative data. The information sought includes recipient names, addresses, dates of birth and, where applicable, Social Security numbers and immigration A-numbers, the Post reported.

Adams told the Post that HHS has "legitimate reason to think that they've been using taxpayer dollars incorrectly," citing recent fraud investigations and allegations involving Minnesota's Department of Human Services (DHS). According to the Post, the letters referenced public statements from hundreds of DHS employees alleging warnings of fraud were disregarded and whistleblowers faced retaliation.

"The Trump Administration has made clear its commitment to rooting out fraud, protecting taxpayer dollars, and ensuring program integrity across all federal benefit programs," Adams wrote in the letters, according to the Post. "This information is necessary for ACF to conduct a thorough review of program operations and to assess the extent of any irregularities that may have occurred."

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz and Frey for comment but did not receive an immediate response.