House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., took aim at Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan on Wednesday, calling the Democratic Senate nominee a more “masculine” version of Gov. Tim Walz while hammering the state's leadership over Minnesota’s Somali fraud scandal.
Emmer made the remarks during an appearance on Fox Business with anchor Cheryl Casone, who asked the Minnesota Republican for his assessment of Flanagan following her recent Democratic Senate primary victory.
“Well, first off, Peggy Flanagan is going to have to address all Minnesotans, not just her crowd down in downtown Minneapolis,” Emmer said.
The Republican argued that constituents have expressed support for President Donald Trump’s efforts on illegal immigration and his push to pursue fraud, waste and abuse.
Emmer then turned his fire directly on Flanagan.
“Cheryl, look. First looking at Peggy Flanagan, she’s just a more masculine version of Tim Walz, but it’s the same person,” he said.
Emmer accused Flanagan of being deeply connected to the fraud controversy because of her position in Minnesota's government, pointing to what he described as nearly $9 billion in fraud occurring under the watch of Flanagan, Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Rep. Ilhan Omar.
“She is literally in the fraud issue up to her eyes,” Emmer said.
The GOP lawmaker also argued that government officials have escaped accountability over the scandal, saying that not one government official has been charged or held responsible for what he described as almost $9 billion in taxpayer money being taken out of the state government and ending up in the hands of Somali fraudsters.
Emmer stressed that his criticism was not limited to Flanagan.
He also targeted Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is running for governor in Minnesota, claiming that despite releasing roughly 1,000 press releases over the past year and a half to two years, none addressed fraud.
“This is an issue that’s going to be front and center,” Emmer told Casone.
He framed the controversy as a major choice for Minnesota voters, arguing that supporting Democrats would result in “more of the same,” while electing Republicans would bring change.
Flanagan, a progressive, secured the Democratic Senate nomination last week after defeating moderate Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., in the party’s primary.
She will now face former sportscaster Michelle Tafoya in the general election after Tafoya won the Republican nomination.
Emmer made clear Wednesday that Republicans intend to put Minnesota's fraud controversy at the center of their case against Flanagan and other Democrats as voters prepare to decide control of the Senate seat.
