Over $120 million in USDA award payments to Minnesota suspended, Sec. Rollins says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: January 10, 2026 / 8:32 AM CST / CBS Minnesota


U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Friday that she is suspending payments on all active and future awards from the USDA to Minnesota amid the long-running fraud scandal in which the White House has alleged a misuse of federal funds. In a letter addressed to Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Rollins said the suspended payments, as of Friday evening, total just over $129 million.

As reasons for her suspension, she highlighted the alleged fraud schemes involving the nonprofit group Feeding Our Future, Minnesota's Housing Stabilization Services program, and claims of fraud at daycare centers around the state. "Despite a staggering, wide-reaching fraud scandal, your Administrations refuse to provide basic information or take common sense measures to stop fraud," Rollins said in the letter, which she posted on social media.

She asked Walz and Frey to provide her agency with justification for all federal spending to the state from Jan. 20 of last year "to the present" within 30 days, and said that payments moving forward will "require such payment justification."

In a reply to Rollins' post, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on social media, "I will not allow you to take from Minnesotans in need. I'll see you in court."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/award-payments-usda-suspended-minnesota-secretary-brooke-rollins/

[NBachers]

2. Any info besides eight words of snark?

[Bayard]

3. What's that supposed to mean?

[ProudMNDemocrat]

6. Where is your documented proof?

[Bayard]

4. The hand of vengenence on every Dem state

I'd like to see every department head in this admin prosecuted for, "just following orders," after our national nightmare is over.

[Figarosmom]

5. They will do this in all blue states. Nt

[ProudMNDemocrat]

7. The four Minnesota Republicans in Congress need to be held accountable to the constituents.

Brad Finstad, 1st CD
Tom Emmer, 6th CD
Pete Stauber, 8th CD
Michelle Fischbach, 7th CD

As well as asked if they support this damaging their state. If they do not address this, vote the fuckers out no matter what! Tom Emmer may think he is safe in his tailor-made 6th CD, but NOT everyone is wealthy there.

Brad Finstad refuses to hold Town Halls where constituents can address concerns in the 1st CD. There are a lot of farmers, small towns, Rochester, Mankato, Owatonna, etc., Somali-Americans, etc., who he is shutting out.

Except for Duluth, the 8th CD is pretty much rural.

[moniss]

10. I don't know which district(s) cover

sugar beet growing areas in western Minnesota but they should get up in arms about USDA cutting off programs and funds. I imagine those might be GQP areas and could be ripe for political action along with emphasizing the impacts that have happened to farm labor, rural health care etc.

[bluestarone]

8. Hope this get blocked.

What a worthless scumbag.

[moniss]

9. Issue an order declaring these Federal Officials

persona non grata on the basis of attempted extortion. I would further issue an order that the Minnesota State Police set up extensive and lengthy inspections of all US Customs and Border Patrol Officials on the roads leading to and from their jobs at the border crossings with Canada. Many hours may go by while every aspect of their identity and social media is investigated. You can't take too many chances with suspected terrorists. Any trucker who has been held up for hours by US Customs and Border Patrol for no reason will appreciate the payback.

The point being that in every state there are Federal officials who can be subjected to the same scrutiny and harassment that they inflict upon state residents. It takes the will to do so. Likewise there are Federal projects etc. that require state agency cooperation. Environmental projects for example are many times a state/Federal situation. The US Army Corps of Engineers is legendary for dragging their feet on completing legally required reviews when the "political levers" are being used. Turn it around and slow state required reviews to a crawl on those projects the Federal government is really pushing for. If they try to bypass obtaining the legally required state review and begin work on a project have the Minnesota State Police shut down the project for failing to have all needed permits. Use the National Guard if need be.

There are many Federal agency conferences, training sessions, meetings, conventions etc. that are held every year and some in conjunction with state officials. Cancel any and all state collaboration, facilitation and attendance at these events. Encourage businesses in the state to refuse to provide facilities and accommodations for these events. Create a funding mechanism to reimburse a hospitality business for any lost business.

The bottom line is that in each state there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of Federal officials who are engaged in plying the wishes and power of the Federal government. Where possible cooperation should be halted and where possible the state and local law enforcement agencies should see that they receive the same "stop and hassle" that they inflict on the non Federal employee residents of that state.

Local businesses should refuse service to those they know to be Federal employees/officials.

The reservations in states should make it clear to all Federal officials that they are no longer allowed on reservation land and that all commercial traffic using roads across the reservation will now be subject to permit only access and those permits will not be cheap or quickly issued. There are many ways for the tribes to stop "business as usual" for people moving across the sovereign lands of the reservation.

The whole point being that there are many ways and areas to look at for slowing/stopping cooperation with the Federal government and for their officials to be subjected to the same harassment that they feel is "no big deal" to inflict upon state residents.

How about a "Heroes Fund" for each state that is under attack that would give official state recognition, legal assistance etc. to any state resident who is shown to have protected a legal resident of that state from attack by ICE-American Gestapo?