Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has drawn criticism for her response when questioned about her role in a massive fraud scandal that occurred under the administration she serves. When pressed on her responsibility for the fraud, which federal investigators estimate could exceed $9 billion, Flanagan pointed to Gov. Tim Walz.

"I would say, the governor says the buck stops with him, more should have been done sooner, and I agree," Flanagan stated during an interview on MSNOW on Thursday. She noted that 100 individuals have been charged and 60 convicted in connection with the scandal.

Flanagan, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, has served as lieutenant governor since 2019. Her comments have led to accusations of deflecting responsibility, particularly from her Republican opponent, Michele Tafoya, and the Republican National Committee (RNC).

The RNC posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Flanagan "blames Tim Walz and dodges accountability for rampant fraud in her state." Tafoya echoed this sentiment, stating on X that Flanagan "refuses to take any responsibility and accountability for billions of our tax dollars being stolen under her watch as lieutenant governor."

Conservative radio host Larry O'Connor suggested Flanagan's position is vulnerable, tweeting, "She KNOWS she's vulnerable on this. Huge opening for @Michele_Tafoya." Dustin Grage, a Townhall columnist, also commented on X, writing, "Here is Peggy Flanagan blaming Tim Walz for the fraud. Oh yeah, she knows she’s cooked if she rightfully gets tied to the fraud."

The fraud scandal reportedly influenced Walz's decision not to seek re-election. Critics have contended that his administration did not take sufficient action to curb the escalating fraud problem, which had become widely known within the state.

Minnesota Republican State Rep. Kristin Robbins, who previously chaired the Minnesota House’s Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee, posted on X that Flanagan "did NOTHING to protect vulnerable citizens & taxpayers despite countless whistleblower reports, Auditor reports, & criminal convictions." Robbins also claimed that Flanagan, Walz, and Attorney General Keith Ellison "protected their political base instead of stopping the fraud."

Flanagan did not address the fraud scandal in her victory speech following the Senate primary. Critics, including Tafoya, have pointed this out on social media. The Flanagan campaign was contacted for comment by Fox News Digital.