2026年4月20日 美国东部时间6:00 / 福克斯新闻频道
这位前体育记者正在参选，以接替即将退休的民主党参议员蒂娜·史密斯，角逐共和党初选的激烈席位
作者：亚历克斯·米勒、凯特琳·卡莱尔 福克斯新闻
明尼苏达州联邦参议员共和党候选人米歇尔·塔福亚指责州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹和总检察长基思·埃利森明知这个“万湖之州”诈骗活动猖獗，却对此视而不见，而她正力争将这个开放席位收入共和党囊中。
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一位有意争夺明尼苏达州开放参议员席位的共和党联邦参议员候选人指责州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹和总检察长基思·埃利森对这个“万湖之州”发生的数十亿美元诈骗丑闻视而不见。
61岁的米歇尔·塔福亚正在参选接替即将退休的明尼苏达州民主党参议员蒂娜·史密斯。当前选战激烈，共和党方面因一项近100亿美元的日托、食品援助和医疗诊所诈骗案就发生在两人眼皮底下一事，将矛头直指瓦尔兹和埃利森。
塔福亚在接受福克斯新闻数字频道采访时坚称，这场大规模盗窃事件可能让明尼苏达州自2008年以来首次将联邦参议员席位染成红色，并补充说该州民众“怒不可遏”。
“诈骗无疑是此次选举的核心议题，”她说。
明尼苏达州共和党人公布希望在开放参议员席位选举中挑战的极左翼候选人
从体育解说员转型为政治活动家、评论员的米歇尔·塔福亚如今正在明尼苏达州竞选联邦参议员。2024年4月18日，塔福亚在纽约市福克斯新闻频道演播室亮相。（罗伊·罗奇林/盖蒂图片社）
“我认为蒂姆·瓦尔兹和基思·埃利森都应为这场诈骗负责，”塔福亚指控道，“听着，他们身居高位。正如一位备受尊敬的前美国参议员对我说的，这么大一笔钱易手，不可能没人知情。”
“所以民众早就知道此事正在发生，”这位前体育广播员补充道，要求为这场大规模诈骗追究相关人员责任。
埃利森的发言人布莱恩·埃文斯告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，总检察长办公室一直在打击该州的诈骗行为，特别是医疗补助欺诈控制部门，该部门“已获得超过340项定罪，经常位列全国最高效的反诈团队之一”。
“埃利森总检察长目前正牵头推动一项两党法案，为其欺诈控制部门提供更多资源和权力，以打击诈骗犯、保护我们的税款，”埃文斯说，“他在打击诈骗、追究诈骗犯责任方面有着出色的记录。”
瓦尔兹和埃利森都在国会听证会上为自己处理该州诈骗问题的行动进行了辩护。众议院监督委员会主席、肯塔基州共和党人詹姆斯·科默在听证会前的调查发现，瓦尔兹和埃利森知晓该州的诈骗问题，但“一再未能采取行动”。
塔福亚还声称，两人在3月出席众议院监督委员会听证会时“对此一笑了之”。
“民众早就知道此事正在发生。我们从‘优质‘学习’中心事件中就能看到这一点，”塔福亚说，“我们知道有太多失误。而身为州长，责任理应最终由你承担。”
明尼苏达州共和党议员敦促国会在听证会上质询瓦尔兹：“有真正的问题需要处理”
塔福亚声称，明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹（右）和总检察长基思·埃利森（左）知晓该州发生的数十亿美元诈骗案。两人均于2026年3月4日在国会作证。（曼德尔·恩/法新社通过盖蒂图片社；杰里·霍尔特/《明尼苏达明星论坛报》通过盖蒂图片社）
首次寻求公职的前体育记者塔福亚正致力于将该席位转为共和党所有，并表示明尼苏达州民众“已经准备好改变”。
“他们已经受够了，也感到幻想破灭，”她说。
当被问及近期明尼苏达州一名非公民被指控犯有选民欺诈和伪证罪时，塔福亚将这一问题与数十亿美元的诈骗丑闻联系起来，并表示：“瓦尔兹及其同伙想让我们相信不存在任何选民欺诈。”
“有烟必有火，”塔福亚说，“我敢肯定这不是唯一的例子。而他们却说我们的选举完美无缺，就在他们刚刚证明自己愿意信口雌黄，谎称我们的税款去向之时，这简直可笑。”
不过塔福亚的对手并非瓦尔兹或埃利森。尽管她是竞争对手中竞选资金最充裕的候选人，但她首先必须在激烈的初选中胜出，赢得共和党提名。只有这样，她才能在11月的大选中对阵明尼苏达州民主党众议员安吉·克雷格或明尼苏达州副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根，她称两人都在试图“比谁更左”。
塔福亚特别抨击了弗拉纳根：“她头戴头巾告诉明尼苏达州人：‘索马里人建设了明尼苏达州’。这对全州所有人来说都极具冒犯性。”
“所以这就能看出她有多左了。”
共和党议员与瓦尔兹、埃利森在激烈的欺诈听证会上冲突的5个最离谱时刻：“难以置信”
明尼苏达州副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根（左），联邦参议员候选人，及其民主党初选对手明尼苏达州民主党众议员安吉·克雷格。塔福亚称两人都在试图“比谁更左”。（汤姆·威廉姆斯/CQ-罗尔公司通过盖蒂图片社；大卫·伯丁/盖蒂图片社）
尽管塔福亚得到了参议院共和党竞选机构全国共和党参议员委员会主席、南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特的支持，但前总统唐纳德·特朗普尚未发出可能决定其竞选成败的宝贵 endorsement。
塔福亚表示，是否以及何时在该选举中背书某位候选人最终由特朗普决定。
“我会让他自行决定是否给出背书，”塔福亚说，“我们非常乐意接受。但就目前而言，我们是明尼苏达州共和党参议员选战中迄今为止筹款最多的候选人，我们认为这非常能说明我们的胜算。”
她的筹款额也超过了其他共和党对手。根据联邦选举委员会的备案文件，今年1月至3月，她筹集了超过200万美元，手头现金近190万美元。塔福亚的现金储备也超过了弗拉纳根，后者筹集了140万美元，手头仍有110万美元现金。
两人的筹款额都不及克雷格，后者已筹集250万美元，手头现金高达490万美元。
福克斯新闻数字频道已联系瓦尔兹征求评论，但未立即收到回复。
亚历克斯·米勒是福克斯新闻数字频道记者，负责报道美国参议院事务。
GOP Senate hopeful Michele Tafoya accuses Walz, Ellison of ignoring Minnesota fraud scheme
April 20, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News
The former sports reporter is running to replace retiring Democrat Sen. Tina Smith in a crowded GOP primary
By Alex Miller , Katelyn Caralle, Fox News
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Michele Tafoya accused Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of knowing that fraud was running rampant in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but turning a blind eye as she vies to flip the open seat.
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A Senate Republican hopeful eyeing Minnesota’s open seat accused Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of turning a blind eye to a multibillion-dollar fraud scandal in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Michele Tafoya, 61, is running to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., in a crowded race where Republicans have heavily targeted Walz and Ellison over a nearly $10 billion daycare, food aid and health clinic fraud scheme that unfolded under their noses.
This widespread theft could flip a Senate seat red in Minnesota for the first time since 2008, Tafoya insisted in an interview with Fox News Digital, adding that people in her state are “angry.”
“Fraud is certainly at the forefront” of this election, she said.
MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS REVEAL WHICH FAR-LEFT CANDIDATE THEY WANT TO CHALLENGE IN OPEN SENATE RACE
Former sportscaster turned political activist and commentator Michele Tafoya is now running for U.S. Senate in Minnesota. Tafoya is seen at the Fox News Channel studios on April 18, 2024, in New York City.(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
“I think that Tim Walz and Keith Ellison are both to blame for this fraud,” Tafoya alleged. “Look, they’re at the top. And as one very revered former United States senator told me, that amount of money cannot change hands without people knowing.”
“So people knew this was going on,” the former sports broadcaster added, demanding someone be held accountable for the widespread fraud.
Brian Evans, a spokesperson for Ellison, told Fox News Digital that the attorney general’s office has gone after fraud in the state, specifically with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which has “secured over 340 convictions and regularly ranks as one of the most efficient team of fraud fighters in the nation.”
“Attorney General Ellison is currently leading the charge to pass a bipartisan bill to give his fraud control unit more resources and authority to go after fraudsters and protect our tax dollars,” Evans said. “He has a strong record of fighting fraud and holding fraudsters accountable.”
Both Walz and Ellison defended their actions to address fraud in their state during a congressional hearing. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., found ahead of the hearing that Walz and Ellison were aware of fraud in the state but “repeatedly failed to act.”
And Tafoya claimed they “laughed it off” during their appearance before the House Oversight Committee in March.
“People knew this was going on. We have seen it with the Quality ‘Learing’ Center,” Tafoya said. “We know that there have been so many mistakes made. And when you are the governor, the buck stops with you.”
MINNESOTA GOP LAWMAKER URGES CONGRESS TO PRESS WALZ AT FRAUD HEARING: ‘REAL ISSUES TO DEAL WITH’
Tafoya claims that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, and AG Keith Ellison, left, were aware of a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme in the state. Both men testified before Congress on March 4, 2026.(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Tafoya, a former sports reporter seeking elected office for the first time, is aiming to flip the seat red and said Minnesotans are “ready for a change.”
“They are so fed up and disillusioned,” she said.
When asked about a noncitizen recently charged with committing voter fraud and perjury in Minnesota, Tafoya tied that issue to the multibillion-dollar fraud scandal and said, “Walz and company want us to believe there’s zero voter fraud.”
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Tafoya said. “I’m certain that’s not the only example. And for them to say that we had perfect elections, when they have just proven that they are willing to lie through their teeth about where our money is going, is laughable.”
But Tafoya is not running against Walz or Ellison and, despite having the most campaign coffers among her cohorts, she must first survive a crowded primary to win the Republican nomination. Only then will she advance to the general election in November against Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., or Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, both of whom she claims are trying to “out-left” each other.
Specifically, Tafoya pointed to Flanagan, saying: “She got dressed in a hijab and told Minnesotans, ‘Somalis built Minnesota.’ That was so offensive to everyone in the state.”
“So that gives you an example of how much of a leftist she is.”
TOP 5 WILDEST MOMENTS AS GOP LAWMAKERS CLASHED WITH WALZ, ELLISON IN HEATED FRAUD HEARING: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flannagan, left, candidate for U.S. Senate, and her Democratic primary challenger Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn. Tafoya says the two are trying to “out-left” each other.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; David Berding/Getty Images)
While Tafoya has the backing of Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who chairs the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, former President Donald Trump has yet to issue a coveted endorsement that could make or break her campaign.
Tafoya said it is ultimately Trump’s decision whether and when to endorse a candidate in the race.
“I’m going to let him speak for himself on any endorsement,” Tafoya said. “We would happily take it. But right now, we are the candidate that has raised the most money by far in the Republican senatorial race in Minnesota, and we think that speaks very highly of our chances.”
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She has also outpaced her Republican opponents, raising just over $2 million between January and March of this year, with just under $1.9 million on hand, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Tafoya also holds a cash advantage over Flanagan, who has raised $1.4 million and still has $1.1 million on hand.
Both are surpassed by Craig, who has brought in $2.5 million and has a whopping $4.9 million on hand.
Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Walz but did not immediately hear back.
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
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