One of the key figures in the largest fraud scandal in Minnesota history was taken to the woodshed in a critical Senate debate on Friday by her feisty Republican opponent.
As KARE 11 News reported, wacky DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya faced off in their only scheduled debate on Friday in St. Paul. This comes as Flanagan holds a surprisingly small lead in the polls.
The two candidates attacked each other on a whole host of issues, including the war in Iran, immigration, fraud, health care, abortion, and the Supreme Court.
The moment of the debate, however, came when Flanagan was asked twice if she took responsibility for the massive Somali fraud scandal that happened on her watch.
According to a top prosecutor, the amount of fraud reached $9 billion. More than 90% of the people charged in the major fraud cases announced are of Somali descent.
Astoundingly, Flanagan not only claimed that Walz alone bore responsibility for the scandal but also took credit for several of his so-called ‘accomplishments.’
Tafoya quickly obliterated Flanagan’s response.
WATCH:
🚨 MUST WATCH: Peggy Flanagan had to be asked TWICE if she takes any responsibility over the fraud—and refused to do so.
Michele Tafoya absolutely destroys her response. https://t.co/o4eBJe3Gb0
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 16, 2026
MODERATOR: Do you have any ownership of the fraud that occurred over the last two terms of this administration?
FLANAGAN: The governor has been very clear that the buck stops with him. He’s the one who had oversight here.
I’ve led on issues like paid family and medical leave, national leading child tax credit, making sure that kids get breakfast and lunch at school…
TAFOYA: Listen, I am going to Washington to be an equal opportunity pain in the a** to any corrupt career politician…I note that my opponent here has mentioned Donald Trump’s name, I don’t know how many times, I’ve lost count.
Peggy, Donald Trump is not on the ballot; you and I are on the ballot. And only one of us let $9 billion walk out the door due to fraud.
To suggest that she is going to be a fraud czar all of a sudden, talk about changing tacks when it becomes politically expedient!
My goodness, she was second in charge in this state, and she’s just going to point her finger at Governor Tim Walz when she demanded it would be the Walz-Flanagan Administration? When she demanded to be in the room where everything happens?
But suddenly, she has nothing to do with this? My goodness, sell it to someone else.
This was not the only time Tafoya put Flanagan on the coals. Here’s what happened earlier in the debate after Flanagan whined about Minnesota losing access to publicly funded programs.
🚨 BREAKING: Michele Tafoya just destroyed Peggy Flanagan on Minnesotans losing access to programs.
“When she was second in command of this state… Minnesota saw billions, and billions, and billions of fraud dollars, walk out the door”
Brutal. https://t.co/GWXrdfcNDO
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 16, 2026
TAFOYA: It is rich to hear my opponent talk about lost access to programs when under her watch, Minnesota saw billions, and billions, and billions of fraud dollars walk out the door while Medicaid was gutted, while Feeding Our Future was gutted, while these programs for autistic kids were gutted.
And she’s talking about access? All of that money left the state…This historic fraud happened under her watch, and suddenly she’s looking out for Medicaid and SNAP?
Sell it to someone else!
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