Republican Michele Tafoya says rival Peggy Flanagan can't get away from fraud in Minnesota

Republican candidate for United States Senate from Minnesota, Michele Tafoya, said in an interview with Fox's "Hannity" program that her Democratic rival, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, is unable to move away from the alleged fraud scheme in the state's social programs. According to the program's presentation, new surveys indicate that the dispute is very close.

The transcription, of poor quality, spells names irregularly. This text adopts Michele Tafoya and Peggy Flanagan, according to the title and description of the video.

Host Sean Hannity said corruption appears to be at the heart of Minnesota government. Tafoya said that on the campaign trail she encounters voters frustrated and outraged by the fraud, which she estimated at up to $9 billion, adding that "we're just getting started."

Accusations about the use of public money

According to the candidate, the resources were taken from programs designed to help people. She said the money was sent to those who remitted it elsewhere, spent it on luxury items or sent it out of the country. Voters, he said, ask where the money is and where the accountability is.

Tafoya recalled that Governor Tim Walz withdrew from running for a third term. In her assessment, Flanagan, who is now running for governor, is trying to separate himself from Walz, but cannot separate himself from the fraud because he was part of the government and, according to the republican, is on equal terms with him.

Liability dispute

Hannity said he read that Flanagan stated that the ultimate responsibility lies with the governor and that more should have been done sooner. He questioned why she didn't come to him to try to resolve the problem.

Tafoya countered that Walz was the vice presidential candidate for much of the period and that Flanagan was in charge and could have done a lot. According to her, the two signed a pact to govern as a team, with Flanagan participating in meetings and decisions, which makes the idea that the responsibility stops with the governor "absurd."

The candidate also listed what she called a history of failure: eight years of division, rising crime and gang violence, falling school test scores and a state budget surplus that, according to her, turned into a deficit. For Tafoya, Flanagan doesn't want to take responsibility for any of this.

Social issues and the message to voters

Regarding Flanagan's advocacy of gender-affirming care for minors, Tafoya said he believes most Minnesotans understand that adults make adult decisions and that children should not be pushed into life-altering decisions. Hannity agreed that adults should be able to do whatever they want.

For the market reader, the episode shows how state public accounts, the alleged diversion of resources and fiscal deterioration (from surplus to deficit, according to the candidate) are at the center of the campaign. The statements are made by the interviewee and the program, and have not been independently verified.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.