Minnesota’s gubernatorial candidates clashed over the state’s fraud scandals in their second debate of the week, with Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth pledging to fire all state commissioners on her first day in office and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar defending her response.
The scandals have rocked the North Star State, raising questions about how large-scale abuse of state programs went undetected and putting government oversight at the center of the governor’s race.
"Fraud unchecked here in the state of Minnesota has gone far too long, and it has finally come to the surface," Demuth said.
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"The thing that I will do on day one is I am going to be firing all commissioners, choosing new commissioners that are expert in their field, that will carry out the accountability and transparency that is needed in our state. We have to change the culture of fraud."
Klobuchar called Demuth’s remarks "absurd" and said she contacted U.S. Attorney Andy Luger after the fraud came to light to ask what prosecutors needed.
"He said, 'I need more prosecutors'," Klobuchar said. "I called the highest level of the Justice Department, and I got him those prosecutors."
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Klobuchar also said she would have caught the fraud earlier, while criticizing Walz’s response. "Tim Walz should have caught the fraud earlier and he should have done more," she said.
She also sought to distinguish herself from the outgoing governor and criticized Demuth for not clearly separating herself from President Donald Trump.
"We don’t need a rubber stamp of Donald Trump in the governor’s office," Klobuchar said.
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Demuth countered that Klobuchar had not identified specific policies on which she would break with Walz, whom Klobuchar has called an "incredible governor."
The exchange underscored a central question in the race: how much change voters want when they choose Walz’s successor on Nov. 3.