Minnesota's extensive fraud crisis has been making national news recently.
However, critics argue that this issue has been brewing for years, largely due to local media's apparent disinterest in holding those in power accountable.
Townhall columnist Dustin Grage recently expressed his concerns to Fox News Digital, stating, "In newsrooms, theyre told, We cant run that because were going to be accused of being racist." He was referring to Minnesota news outlets' reluctance to expose the rampant taxpayer waste, primarily within the local Somali community, for fear of being labeled as racially biased.
The Minnesota Star Tribune, widely regarded as the region's leading news source, has come under fire on social media for its headlines. These include "Minnesota Somali community grapples with fraud cases while pushing back against stereotypes" on Nov. 26 and "Trump claims Minnesota lost billions to fraud. The evidence to date isnt close" on Dec. 11.
Federal prosecutors recently held a press conference revealing that the fraud scandal could potentially cost taxpayers around $9 billion. This revelation prompted conservatives on social media to question the accuracy of the Star Tribune's Dec. 11 headline.
New York Post columnist Miranda Devine criticized the Star Tribune, stating, "The Minnesota Star Tribune masquerades as a newspaper. It's actually a Democrat front, hiding news, twisting facts, lying outright. One of the worst in the country."
Adding to the controversy, the Star Tribune's CEO, Steve Grove, previously served as Gov. Tim Walzs former commissioner of employment and economic development. Critics argue that this connection may make the paper reluctant to link Walz to the fraud crisis.
Several locals who spoke to Fox News Digital argued that media outlets either failed to adequately cover the scandal or downplayed Walzs role in the oversight of the situation.
Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, was particularly critical of the Star Tribune. He told Fox News Digital, "The Minnesota Star Tribune has proven itself to be nothing more than communist fish wrap. Theyve shown their true colors throughout their sorry coverage of the massive fraud in my home state. Fraudsters stole over a billion dollars from taxpayers on Tim Walz and [state Attorney General] Keith Ellisons watch. However, the blame also falls on the largest, most widely read newspaper in the state for failing to hold Minnesotas so-called leaders accountable as decent journalism requires. Their bias stinks to high heaven, but thats not surprising given that their top dog is a former Tim Walz appointee."
Newsbusters, a conservative media watchdog, reported last week that even after the scandal gained national attention, major news broadcast networks continued to downplay the fraud issue, focusing more on President Donald Trumps rhetoric on the matter.
Grage shared with Fox News Digital that the news landscape has shifted over the last decade from fair coverage during the tenures of governors like Independent Jesse Ventura and Republican Tim Pawlenty, to a media that appears to favor Democrats.
He described Minnesota newsrooms as being filled with staffers sympathetic to the DFL, Minnesotas Democrat Party apparatus. He highlighted the fear of being labeled "racist" in their coverage of fraud in the Somali community as a significant issue.
Grage stated, "In regard specifically to the Somali fraud scandal, newsrooms will come back at them and say, Well, we can't run that because we're gonna be accused of being racist. And at the end of the day, that's where a lot of this has stemmed from. I mean, we can talk about the media complacency, the severe funding deficits for Republicans in our campaigns, but a lot of the time it's just simply put, people are afraid of being called a racist."
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