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Walz Slammed for Spending $430,000 of Taxpayer Money on ‘Debate Prep’ for Congressional Hearing
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is facing harsh criticism from Republican state lawmakers after reports revealed he spent $430,000 in taxpayer funds preparing for a congressional hearing investigating sanctuary city policies in blue states.
Massive Legal Bill Raises Eyebrows
Documents obtained by the Star Tribune show Walz’s office hired the international law firm K&L Gates to help get ready for his testimony before the GOP-led House Oversight Committee in mid-June. The hearing focused on sanctuary city policies implemented by Walz and other blue state governors.
During May alone, Walz’s office racked up about $232,000 in legal fees, with hourly rates averaging $516, according to the invoices. The legal support spanned from April 10 up until the June 12 hearing, ultimately costing taxpayers $430,000.
Republicans Question the Need for Outside Help
Minnesota Representative Jim Nash, a Republican member of the state’s Legislative Advisory Commission, criticized the governor’s choice to hire a pricey outside law firm instead of relying on state attorneys and public relations staff.
“Spending nearly half a million dollars of taxpayer money to prepare the governor for a return to his former congressional district seems excessive,” Nash said. “The state Attorney General was present in Congress at the same time. They could have easily coordinated the preparation.”
Nash added that he plans to scrutinize the billing details more closely.
‘Public Relations Consulting’ or Legal Defense?
State Representative Harry Niska, also a Republican, questioned the legal justification for such a large expenditure.
“Walz has 12 years of congressional experience. He knows how to handle hearings like this,” Niska stated. “So why did he spend $430,000 on private legal fees to prepare?”
He went on to accuse the governor of using public funds to finance what is essentially a public relations campaign in advance of a presidential run that “is clearly going nowhere.”
“It is unacceptable that Minnesota taxpayers are footing the bill for the governor’s personal ambitions on the national stage,” Niska said.
Walz Deflects, Blames GOP
Facing mounting backlash, Walz and his team have avoided offering a detailed explanation for the expensive legal work. Instead, they have pointed fingers at Republican lawmakers, accusing them of staging a hearing purely for political theater.
Teddy Tschann, Walz’s spokesperson, called the hearing a “premeditated political stunt at the expense of taxpayers,” according to the Star Tribune.
“They were too focused on performing for the cameras to actually engage with the governor on Minnesota’s balanced immigration policies,” Tschann added. “Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber orchestrated this spectacle fully aware of the costs involved.”
Walz himself said the GOP-led hearing was “not where I intended to allocate funds” and described it as a waste of time designed only for “grandstanding.”
Not the First Time Officials Spend Big on Legal Counsel
Although Walz’s $430,000 legal bill has sparked outrage, he is not the first governor or mayor to spend hundreds of thousands on legal assistance amid political battles.
Still, the Minnesota governor’s office has yet to clarify why outside counsel was necessary when in-house legal and communications teams could presumably handle such preparations.
