Minnesota’s Tax Bomb: Fraud, Mismanagement Fuel Hikes

Wayzata Mayor Andrew Mullin took to Fox’s America’s Newsroom to spell out what hardworking Minnesotans already suspect: state-level mismanagement and a widening fraud scandal are not abstract problems, they are going to land on homeowners’ property tax bills. Mullin’s on-the-record warning puts a local face on a statewide failure of leadership that local officials are now being forced to confront.

Nearly 100 mayors from across Minnesota have formally told St. Paul that this chaos — fraud, runaway spending, and weak oversight — is shredding municipal budgets and will force cities to raise property taxes or cut essential services. Those mayors aren’t playing politics; they’re sounding the alarm for the families and small businesses who pay the bills when state leaders look the other way.

Republican leaders in Washington and the state legislature are rightly demanding answers, with House members blasting Gov. Tim Walz for failing to take responsibility while whistleblowers claim retaliation. When congressional Republicans say “walls are caving in” and call for investigations, that’s not theater — it’s the natural response to a scandal that appears to have stretched into the billions and is crushing Minnesotans who expect honest government.

Let’s be blunt: this is what happens when a politically connected machine treats taxpayer programs like an ATM and punishes the people brave enough to blow the whistle. Conservatives should not be shy about calling for full audits, criminal referrals where warranted, immediate protection for whistleblowers, and the kind of prosecutorial zeal that restores confidence in government. The days of soft accountability must end if we want to stop the next round of tax hikes coming to Main Street.

The immediate victims are local services: road repairs delayed, public safety stretched thin, and municipal employees frozen out of hiring because state dollars vanished into fraud and poor fiscal choices. Mayors like Mullin aren’t interested in soundbites; they’re worried about whether their cities can keep the lights on without imposing onerous levies on families already squeezed by inflation and higher energy costs. The political class in St. Paul should remember they answer to those residents, not to press statements or partisan cover-ups.

This scandal presents a clear choice for voters and conservative leaders: demand transparency now or watch your tax bill climb and your schools and emergency services decline. It’s time for Republicans to push beyond rhetoric — release subpoenas, secure independent special counsels, and make sure every dollar is traced and reclaimed. Minnesotans across party lines deserve a government that protects taxpayers, not one that conspires to let fraud flourish.

Patriots who love their towns should rally behind the mayors who stepped forward and hold the governor and his allies accountable at every turn. We must defend the principle that public money is public trust, and those who violate it must be exposed and punished. The people of Minnesota deserve leadership that spends wisely, defends whistleblowers, and keeps taxes low — anything less is a betrayal of the hardworking families who built this country.