Republican gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth unveiled a new plan Tuesday to provide more protections for whistleblowers who report fraud in Minnesota state government. The plan is part of Demuth’s broader anti-fraud agenda.
“What we need is a government where speaking up is expected, protected, and acted on before the damage is done,” Demuth said at Tuesday press conference. “So today, I am announcing what will be my first executive order as governor.”
Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, explained that her first executive order would establish a “whistleblower coordinator” in every agency of Minnesota state government to assist state employees who come forward with allegations of fraud.
Additionally, the order will “empower state employees to be able to report fraud directly to the Legislative Auditor or Inspector General: without asking permission, without anyone editing what they say, and with protection of their identity,” per Demuth’s campaign.
Demuth’s executive order would also create the Anti-Fraud Task Force, a group that would be led by Ryan Wilson, Demuth’s running mate. Allegations of crimes against taxpayers would also be forwarded to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension under Demuth’s executive order.
At Tuesday’s press event, Demuth emphasized that her executive order was about changing the culture in state government so state employees have the opportunity to come forward if they see something.
Minnesota already has laws protecting state employees who report violations of law. Those protections were increased in 2025 when a new law was passed that specifically protects state employees who report fraud or misuse in state government programs.
Demuth touted that law at her Tuesday press conference and also highlighted the Fraud and State Agency Oversight Committee in the Minnesota House. That committee, which was run by Republican lawmakers, gave whistleblowers a forum to talk about their experiences.
Alpha News has reported extensively on whistleblowers who called out alleged fraud. One of them, Jay Swanson, told lawmakers in April that his team of fraud investigators within the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) was harassed by other DHS officials.
Another whistleblower, Faye Bernstein, has spoken repeatedly about how she was retaliated against after raising concerns about non-compliant state contracts while working at DHS.
Earlier this year, the Republican majority on the Fraud Committee issued a report which said Gov. Tim Walz’s administration retaliated against whistleblowers and did not take action to prevent fraud despite sufficient authority.
Republican members of the Fraud Committee joined Demuth at her Tuesday press briefing and spoke about what they had heard from whistleblowers who came forward.
Demuth’s whistleblower protection plan is a complement to her Fraud Prevention Plan that was unveiled earlier this year.
Under Demuth’s anti-fraud plan, fraudsters would get mandatory prison time and receive a lifetime ban from welfare benefits in Minnesota, and anyone who gets welfare benefits in Minnesota would be restricted from transferring money overseas.
Demuth has also said she would fire all state agency commissioners and replace them with leaders who “are committed to changing that culture of fraud.”
Fraud has become one of the defining issues of the 2026 gubernatorial race in Minnesota as revelations about pervasive fraud in state government programs have come to light.
Last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota estimated that $9 billion or more may have been stolen from state welfare programs since 2018. One of those programs was shut down earlier this year because fraud was so pervasive throughout it.
Since then, the Minnesota Legislature created a statewide Office of the Inspector General which is tasked with uncovering fraud throughout state government programs.
Demuth and her DFL opponent, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, have made combating fraud a central theme in both of their campaigns. Klobuchar has pledged to run a “top-to-bottom” audit of state government to root out fraud, waste, and abuse.
Election Day is Nov. 3, but early voting is already underway.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
