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Year: 2025

Democrats reveal whether Walz should testify and be held accountable for massive fraud under his watch

Democrats reveal whether Walz should testify and be held accountable for massive fraud under his watch

Amid backlash over the wide-scale Minnesota Medicaid fraud scandal that has occurred under the leadership of Democratic Governor Tim Walz, some Democrats are dodging responsibility, but others have said Walz should be held accountable.  “I think any instance of fraud should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent, and so the federal government should play an oversight role in federal dollars,” Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., told Fox News Digital. “States have an obligation though to make sure that they’re administering these programs. Any instance should be investigated. Where there’s fraud, people should be prosecuted for that fraud.” When pressed on whether he thinks Walz should be compelled to testify for letting so much money be lost to fraud under his watch, Olszewski said “anyone” involved in large-scale fraud “should come before Congress and tell us what happened.” ILHAN OMAR DEFENDS MEALS ACT DESPITE TIES TO MASSIVE MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME Olszewski wasn’t the only Democrat Fox News Digital heard from who suggested Walz should face the music, but others dodged the question and some pointed the finger at President Donald Trump and Republicans.  “It is not a partisan issue. I just wish that we could focus on really looking at where the facts take us and not have it be that one side is trying to fight waste, fraud, abuse, and the other isn’t,” said Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., when asked if anything should be done to prevent such wide scale fraud – as was seen in Minnesota – from happening in the first place. ‘EPICENTER OF FRAUD’: MINNESOTA’S EMPTY STOMACHS, FAKE AUTISM THERAPY AND A SCANDAL THAT COULD TOP $2 BILLION “There’s always a fraud issue. That’s why the Department of Justice had a huge civil fraud division that did a lot of great work, and that’s why we have [Inspector Generals] and the like throughout the federal government. The elimination of those, firing that cadre of people was one of the worst things the Trump administration could do if they’re serious about fighting waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md. “Oh, I don’t know that you need the governor to do it. Certainly somebody from Minnesota that has the best insight into what went wrong should,” Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va, told Fox News Digital on whether Walz should testify. In a Thursday press conference, federal authorities in Minnesota announced new charges in the fraud scandal that has grabbed national headlines and spoke on the scope of the crisis, saying that it goes beyond what has previously been reported. According to one report, Minnesota Democratic lawmakers received over $50,000 in campaign donations by fraudsters who ripped off taxpayer funds meant to help feed children.

Trump’s Venezuela oil blockade puts Chevron in the middle of a high-stakes sanctions crackdown

Trump’s Venezuela oil blockade puts Chevron in the middle of a high-stakes sanctions crackdown

The Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on Venezuela’s sanctioned oil shipments has thrust Chevron into an unusually precarious position. As the last U.S. oil company left in Venezuela, Chevron is operating in the high-tension space between Washington’s pressure campaign and the world’s largest oil reserves. That campaign was on full display on Dec. 10, when U.S. authorities seized a nondescript tanker that had been quietly moving Venezuelan crude, just one ship in a shadow fleet that keeps sanctioned oil flowing.  This week, Trump pushed the campaign to a new level, ordering a “total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers” bound for or departing Venezuela. ‘GHOST SHIPS’ FERRYING ILLICIT OIL HAVE SAILED INTO TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS  And while Chevron isn’t the target of the blockade, the order still introduces fresh uncertainty for the company’s operations in Venezuela’s tightly controlled oil sector. “In the case of Chevron, the U.S. government allows that oil to move, but it’s certainly a very sensitive place to be,” explained Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow at the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy and Technology at Brookings. But Chevron’s position is only one part of the equation. Felbab-Brown noted that the administration faces significant limits in how aggressively it can enforce a tanker blockade. “This is a major undertaking. The U.S. has the assets and the political willingness to do this to some extent in Venezuela,” she said, adding that “it would be very resource-consuming for the U.S. to seize every ship or locate them.” VENEZUELA HOLDS THE WORLD’S LARGEST OIL RESERVES. HERE’S HOW OTHERS COMPARE Chevron, for its part, said its operations have not been affected by the latest escalation. “Chevron’s operations in Venezuela continue without disruption and in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable to its business, as well as the sanctions frameworks provided for by the U.S. government,” Bill Turenne, Chevron’s Head of Public Policy Communications, wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. Chevron offered no assessment of the broader security environment, saying only: “Any questions about the security situation in Venezuela should be directed to the appropriate authorities in the U.S. government.” The U.S. energy titan has operated in Venezuela for a century and is the only American company to remain after the government forced Western firms into minority partnerships with the state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA). For the Maduro government, disruptions to oil shipments strike at the heart of its economic survival. “Venezuela is wholly dependent on oil,” explained Benjamin Jensen, who heads the Futures Lab at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Anything you do that puts pressure on their ability to bypass sanctions and trade in oil is a direct threat to the economy and by extension the regime,” he added. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment at The Heritage Foundation, framed the blockade as a warning beyond Venezuela. “President Trump is sending the message that this attempt to escape sanctions and use the oil of rogue regimes will no longer stand,” she said. “I don’t know how many ships it is going to take to be seized before that message gets through,” she added. How aggressively the administration enforces the blockade and how effectively Venezuela adapts will determine whether the latest move delivers a decisive economic blow or becomes another costly game of sanctions cat and mouse.

Tim Scott tells MAGA voters Trump ‘is on the ballot’ as GOP fights to grow Senate majority in 2026

Tim Scott tells MAGA voters Trump ‘is on the ballot’ as GOP fights to grow Senate majority in 2026

As he aims to not only defend but expand the GOP’s 53-47 Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections, Sen. Tim Scott has a message for MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when President Donald Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot. “Donald Trump is on the ballot, and that’s why he’s been so active around the country,” Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said this week in a Fox News Digital interview. Scott, a Republican from South Carolina and Trump ally, said, “I look forward to seeing the president on the campaign trail across this country.” And the president appears to be delivering. WHATLEY: ‘THE PRESIDENT AND HIS LEGACY’ ON 2026 BALLOT Trump on Friday night held the second leg of his affordability tour during a stop in battleground North Carolina, home to what is shaping up to be one of the most crucial, combustible, and expensive Senate battles next year. “We’re certainly going to need him to be on the ballot,” former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley told Fox News Digital, as he pointed to Trump. THE GOP’S TAKE ON HIGH-PROFILE SENATE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES: ‘THEY’RE IN SHAMBLES’ Whatley, the Trump-backed clear frontrunner for the GOP Senate nomination in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, joined Trump at Friday night’s event. “When you think about what happens if we lose the House, if we lose the Senate, if the Democrats take over, and they go right back to investigations and hoaxes and impeachments, that is really, truly the president and his legacy are going to be on the ballot,” Whatley emphasized. Trump and Republicans spotlighted rising prices as they swept to major victories in 2024, retaking the White House and Senate and holding their majority in the House. But with inflation remaining persistent, Democrats have been laser focused this year on the issue of affordability, which fueled their decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections and their overperformances this year in a slew of special elections. But Scott predicts the tide will turn. “I’ve said 2026 is a year of affordability, and the great news is President Trump has been producing time and time again,” he touted. Pointing to the tax cut provisions in the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy measure signed into law this past summer by Trump, Scott said “2026 is shaping up to be the year where Donald Trump’s activities, his actions, the legislation we’ve passed, shows up for the American voter. And consumers all across the country will see a more affordable economy because of President Trump and the Senate majority and the House majority in the hands of the Republican Party.” GOP SENATE CAMPAIGN CHIEF AIMS TO EXPAND 2026 MAP IN THIS BLUE-LEANING STATE Lauren French, communications director at Senate Majority PAC, the top Senate Democrat-aligned outside group, told Fox News Digital that “even Tim Scott is occasionally right — 2026 will be the year of affordability.” But taking aim at the GOP narrative, French argued that affordability will continue to grab top billing with voters “because Americans can’t afford Donald Trump and Republican policies that continue to drive up the cost of groceries, basic goods, and, right now, Christmas presents.” “The out-of-touch insistence from the GOP that the economy is thriving proves they don’t understand what working families are facing, which is probably why Democrats won or dramatically overperformed in every contested election this year,” she emphasized. “2026 will be no different as Democrats continue to put forward real plans to address the cost-of-living crisis.” There are 35 Senate seats up for grabs next year, including special elections for GOP-held seats in Florida and Ohio. Overall, Republicans are defending 22 of the seats. But the map of competitive races is much smaller. Scott reiterated that open Democrat-held seats in battleground Michigan and swing state New Hampshire are two of the NRSC’s top targets, along with Sen. Jon Ossoff in battleground Georgia, whom Republicans consider the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election next year. 4 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN 2026 MIDTERMS TO EXPAND THEIR MAJORITY The NRSC chair is also eyeing blue-leaning Minnesota, where the Senate GOP campaign arm is working to recruit former professional football sideline reporter turned political activist and commentator Michele Tafoya, who is inching closer to jumping into the race. “We’re excited about expanding our map, and Minnesota is one of the target states that we’re looking at,” Scott said. “We see real reasons to be optimistic. President Trump was very close in Minnesota. It’s a four-point race. We know with the right candidate, we will be successful.” Apparently pointing to Tafoya, Scott suggested Republicans are likely to land “a strong candidate in the race,” and teased “wait and see” for “better news.” Scott will likely be playing defense in Texas, where there’s currently a nasty three-way GOP Senate primary, as well as in North Carolina, Maine and Ohio. Asked his prediction for next year, Scott said “54 is clearly within our grasp right now, but with a little bit of luck, 55 is on our side.” But the rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) sees it differently. “While Democrats have expanded the map and created a path to flip the majority in 2026, Senate Republicans are facing a string of embarrassing recruitment failures and messy primaries — and their toxic agenda of health care cuts and price spikes for hardworking Americans will cost them at the ballot box,” DSCC spokesperson Joe Bush told Fox News Digital.