Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: BONUS POD: Fraud, Politics and Terror Links in Walz's Nightmare Explosive Medicaid Controversy

Date: December 2, 2025
Hosts: Ben Ferguson (guest hosting, 47 Morning Update)
Primary Theme:
A deep dive into the Medicaid fraud scandal in Minnesota, implicating Governor Tim Walz, alleged ties to terrorist funding, massive government whistleblowing, and the broader political implications for national security and the Democratic Party.

Episode Overview

This episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," guest-hosted by Ben Ferguson, explores explosive allegations of state-level Medicaid fraud in Minnesota. The discussion highlights:

• Massive whistleblower reports implicating Governor Tim Walz in ignoring and retaliating against those who reported fraud
• Alleged diversion of public funds toward terrorist organizations
• Political calculations involving the Somali community in Minnesota
• Reactions by both state officials and the media
• Broader national security and election concerns

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Whistleblower Revelations and Government Retaliation

Timestamp: 05:34–09:40

• Over 400 employees in the Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services have accused Governor Walz of being complicit in, or at minimum willfully ignoring, the "biggest fraud case in the state's history."

  • The whistleblowers claim they reported the fraud early on, “hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud. But no, we got the opposite response.”
  • Allegations of “systematic retaliation” by Walz included “monitoring, threats, repression,” and efforts to discredit those attempting to blow the whistle.

• Quote (Read by Ferguson):

  “Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. ... Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation by Tim Walz, certain DFL members, and an indifferent mainstream media. It's scary, isolating, and left us wondering, who can we turn to?”
  [07:16]

• The Office of Legislative Auditor was reportedly disempowered, enabling state agencies to ignore audits and red flags.

2. Scale and Nature of the Fraud

Timestamp: 06:50–09:40

• Reports from the New York Times:
  • Members of the Somali diaspora in Minnesota were “largely responsible” for multimillion-dollar fraud that directed state Medicaid money overseas, including to groups with terrorist links (specifically, Al Shabaab).
  • Nearly 100 autism clinics under investigation for fraudulent billing; the scale of fraud “far more widespread than previously reported.”
• Notable Quote from the NYT (shared by Ferguson):

  “It was like someone was stealing money from the cookie jar and they kept refilling it.”
  [08:32]

3. Political and National Security Implications

Timestamp: 09:40–11:20

• Political motivations:
  • The show claims Walz and state Democrats ignored the fraud due to their reliance on Somali votes, suggesting party politics trumped national security and ethics.
• Federal reaction:
  • House Majority Whip Tom Emmer called for an investigation into the flow of state funds to terrorist organizations.
  • Ongoing national attention as President Trump’s administration investigates and spotlights the case.

4. Media Coverage and Government Response

Timestamp: 10:26–11:58

• NBC’s Meet the Press confronted Walz but (according to Ferguson) allowed evasive answers:
  • Walz emphasized the state’s efforts to prosecute offenders, distanced the Somali community from collective blame, and redirected some criticism toward the Trump administration for “cutting inspector generals.”
• Notable Exchange:
  • Meet the Press: “Do you take responsibility for failing to stop this fraud in your state?” [10:26]
  • Gov. Tim Walz:

    “Well, certainly I take responsibility for putting people in jail. Governors don't get to just talk. Theoretically we have to solve problems. ... But to demonize an entire community on the actions of a few, it's lazy. ... If you're committing crimes... you're going to prison. ... That's Donald Trump. Deflect, demonize, come up with no solutions. He's not going to help fix anything on fraud. My God. There's a big difference between fraud and corruption. And corruption is something he knows about.”
    [10:59–11:58]

5. Host’s Take and Rhetorical Style

Timestamp: 12:16–14:32

• Ferguson returns to the scale of the fraud (“everyone knew”), political motives, and the need for Somali community votes.
• He describes the Democrats as “willing to look the other way while the fraud was happening because they thought it was worth it politically.”
  • “The Democratic Party has sold their soul to the Somali voting bloc in Minnesota. ... It was clearly a national security issue and an issue of just corruption in a community that the Democrats said, no, no, no, we need them, we need their votes.” [12:45]
• He warns, “Who will go to jail and will there be any accountability at all for any of those involved? That includes the governor in this investigation. We'll keep you updated….” [14:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Whistleblower Statement Read by Ferguson [07:16]:

  “We got the full weight of retaliation by Tim Walz, certain DFL members, and an indifferent mainstream media. It's scary, isolating, and left us wondering, who can we turn to?”

• NYT on State Failure to Act [08:32]:

  “It was like someone was stealing money from the cookie jar and they kept refilling it.”

• Governor Walz on Responsibility [10:59]:

  “Well, certainly I take responsibility for putting people in jail. ... But to demonize an entire community on the actions of a few, it's lazy.”

• Ferguson on Political Motivation [12:45]:

  “The Democratic Party has sold their soul to the Somali voting bloc in Minnesota. ... They were willing to look the other way while the fraud was happening because they thought it was worth it politically.”

Key Timestamps for Reference

• Whistleblowers and initial exposure — [05:34–09:40]
• NYT and scale of the fraud revealed — [08:00–09:30]
• Media coverage and Walz interview — [10:26–11:59]
• Ferguson's analysis and closing remarks — [12:16–14:34]

Tone and Approach

• Assertive, direct, and critical – particularly of Governor Walz and the Democratic Party.
• Heavy use of direct reading from whistleblower statements and media sources.
• Political framing with strong emphasis on accountability, security, and the ethical failures of state leadership.
• The episode is highly partisan, aiming to rally conservative listeners and underscore perceived corruption and media bias.

For those who have not listened:
This episode provides a detailed, critical examination of the Medicaid fraud case in Minnesota, with attention to possible terrorist links, extensive whistleblower involvement, and political ramifications at both the state and national levels. The hosts’ tone is unapologetically conservative and combative, repeatedly accusing Governor Walz and Democrats of prioritizing electoral gains over public trust and safety.