Minnesota Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Klobuchar is facing criticism from her Republican opponent for campaigning on addressing the state's fraud scandal, despite not mentioning the multi-billion dollar crisis in any official press releases since it surfaced.

A review of over 1,000 press releases issued by Klobuchar's Senate office between January 2022 and December 2025 found no mention of the Feeding Our Future scandal, which involved approximately $250 million in alleged fraud and has since ballooned into a wider social services scandal potentially reaching over $9 billion.

Terms such as "Minnesota fraud," "social services fraud," "Medicaid fraud," and "child nutrition fraud" also did not appear in the releases during that period. The Feeding Our Future scandal first came to light in late January 2022.

"As Feeding Our Future was breaking and all of the fraud that was being talked about, the absent voice that I was noticing was Senator Klobuchar," said Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, Klobuchar's Republican opponent, in an interview with Fox News Digital. Demuth added that Klobuchar, with two decades in the Senate, could have held hearings on the matter but also did not attend a recent hearing on fraud in Minnesota.

Demuth brought attention to Klobuchar's press release record earlier this week, stating, "Billions of our tax dollars stolen. It’s time for change." She questioned Klobuchar's commitment, asking, "Where were you for the last 10 years, but absolutely the last eight years?"

Since announcing her candidacy for governor, Klobuchar has made combating fraud a central theme of her campaign. An advertisement released this month promises a state audit on her first day in office to "root out waste fraud and abuse." Klobuchar also posted on X, "It’s time for results, not excuses."

Klobuchar secured a primary victory and is positioned as the favorite to replace Gov. Tim Walz, who announced in January 2026 that he would not seek reelection amid the ongoing fraud scandal. Demuth argued that voters will consider Klobuchar's past record on fraud and her alignment with Walz, whom she previously described as an "exceptional governor."

Demuth highlighted her own legislative efforts to combat fraud, including the establishment of the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee in 2025. "Who are Minnesotans gonna trust for their next governor? Somebody that has just decided to talk about fraud now that they're running for office or someone that has been fighting fraud this entire time?" Demuth stated. "And I think I am the most trustworthy when it comes to ending fraud and respecting taxpayer dollars as your next governor."