Tim Walz Under Fire for Blowing $430K in Taxpayer Funds on Legal Prep for Sanctuary Cities Hearing

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is facing intense backlash after it was revealed he spent $430,000 in taxpayer money on legal preparation ahead of a congressional hearing probing his administration’s sanctuary city policies a move critics are calling politically motivated and fiscally reckless.

Invoices obtained by the Star Tribune show that Walz hired elite global law firm K&L Gates to prep for his June testimony before the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating how blue state governors are undermining federal immigration enforcement through sanctuary policies.

• Legal fees reached $232,000 in May alone, with lawyers billing the state at $516 per hour.

• The firm worked with Walz’s office from April 10 to June 12, racking up a total bill of $430,000 paid by Minnesota taxpayers.

• Walz has refused to explain why state attorneys weren’t used, instead sidestepping questions and blaming Republicans for “grandstanding.”

Republican lawmakers aren’t buying it.

"A half a million dollars of taxpayer money to prepare the governor to go to his old stomping grounds seems exorbitant," said Rep. Jim Nash, referring to Walz’s 12 years in Congress. Nash sits on Minnesota’s Legislative Advisory Commission and plans to scrutinize the invoices further.

State Rep. Harry Niska was even more direct: “There appears to be no legitimate legal interest in the state racking up nearly half a million dollars in what amounts to PR consulting... It is unconscionable to make hardworking Minnesota taxpayers pay for the governor’s personal national political aspirations.”

Indeed, the real concern may be less about a single hearing and more about Walz using public resources to polish his image for a rumored 2028 presidential run.

Despite his office’s attempt to pin the cost on Republicans, the facts remain clear: Walz willingly signed off on a massive legal tab one that benefits him, not the people of Minnesota. His spokesman, Teddy Tschann, called the hearing a “political stunt”, but never explained why Walz chose to spend hundreds of thousands defending policies that the public is already skeptical of.

And this isn’t some outlier. Sanctuary city policies have become a flashpoint in America’s immigration crisis, and Minnesota under Walz has offered little more than vague talking points while spending lavishly to avoid transparency.

Yes, other liberal mayors have burned taxpayer money on similar legal prep Boston’s Michelle Wu and Denver’s Mike Johnston among them but that doesn’t excuse the waste. It only highlights how Democrat leaders are increasingly willing to use public funds to insulate themselves from legitimate oversight.

The bottom line? Minnesotans didn’t vote to pay a $430,000 legal bill so their governor could avoid tough questions about sanctuary policies they voted for leadership, not lawfare.

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