Senate in Minnesota and a former broadcaster, aggressively sought to put her opponent, Democratic Lt. Peggy Flanagan, on the defensive during a debate Friday afternoon over the billion-dollar fraud schemes that drew national attention to the state earlier this year. Early in the debate, Tafoya pressed Flanagan on her qualifications for federal office, pointing to her record as lieutenant governor.
"My opponent has been second in command in this state for eight years, drawing a taxpayer-funded paycheck. And what do we have to show for that? We have massive fraud, historic fraud.
We have test scores down. We have a massive surplus turned into a deficit," Tafoya said. TAFOYA MAKES 'COMMON SENSE' PITCH TO DISAFFECTED DEMOCRATS AS SHE VOWS TO FIGHT MINNESOTA’S ‘SOCIALIST LURCH’ "This election is about Peggy Flanagan." Local and federal investigators have uncovered myriad fraud schemes involving daycare centers, food programs, health clinics and other operations accused of defrauding the state of up to $9 billion.
Investigators say fraudsters either inflated the number of people they allegedly helped or fabricated their services altogether — all while receiving government dollars. When the issue resurfaced later in the debate, the moderator asked Flanagan directly whether, in her view, she had "any ownership over the fraud." Flanagan sought to distance herself from the issue, pointing to Walz's acknowledgment that responsibility for oversight rested with him. "The governor has been very clear that the buck stops with him," Flanagan said.
"He was the one who had oversight here. I've led on issues like paid family and medical leave, nation-leading child tax credit, making sure that kids get breakfast and lunch at school. Those are the things and those are the areas where I took the lead." When Flanagan then redirected the conversation to criticism of President Donald Trump, Tafoya went on the attack.
DAVID MARCUS: PEGGY FLANAGAN'S DEI RECORD AND FRAUD SCANDAL PUT MINNESOTA SENATE RACE IN THE SPOTLIGHT "Peggy, Donald Trump isn't on the ballot. You and I are on the ballot, and only one of us let $9 billion walk out the door to fraud to suggest that we that she somehow is going to be a fraud czar all of a sudden," Tafoya said. "My goodness, she was second in charge in this state, and she's just going to point her finger at Gov.
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