Governor Walz’s Possible China Ties Raise Questions in Minnesota Government

Chinese flag waving over cityscape and water.

A whistleblower’s claim has implicated Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota in alleged connections with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), sparking a formal investigation into potential foreign influence in state governance.

At a Glance

  • House Committee on Oversight and Accountability chairman issues subpoena to DHS Secretary for documents on Walz-CCP ties.
  • Investigation seeks to assess CCP’s influence and identify needed legislative reforms.
  • Whistleblower reveals a non-classified chat among DHS employees discussing Walz.
  • Subpoena entails unredacted records and intelligence reports from Microsoft Teams group chat.

Committee’s Investigation

The House Committee, guided by Chairman James Comer, has initiated an official probe into the reported connections of Governor Tim Walz to the CCP. Comer, who previously launched an investigation in August, signed a subpoena directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release intelligence materials, communications, and unredacted records relating to these ties. The subpoena specifically requests materials from the Microsoft Teams group chat described as “NST NFT Bi-Weekly Sync,” which contains significant discussions about the governor.

The investigation aims to disclose the Russian CCP’s infiltration tactics, the extent of its influence on American leaders, including state governors, and to formulate necessary legislative countermeasures. These findings will contribute to understanding the CCP’s actions in political warfare.

Whistleblower Disclosures

The inquiry gained momentum after a whistleblower reported a Microsoft Teams group chat among DHS employees, which highlighted concerns about Governor Walz’s supposed engagements with the CCP. As per the disclosure, relevant information on Walz has been archived in classified and unclassified DHS documents. The House Oversight Committee’s aim is to gather all communications and records from July 1, 2024, and intelligence reports from November 2023 onwards.

“The Committee has recently received whistleblower disclosures informing the Committee of serious concern among Department of Homeland personnel regarding a longstanding connection between the CCP and Minnesota Governor Timothy James Walz,” wrote Chairman James Comer.

Despite these claims, there remains a lack of specific evidence substantiating the allegations. Representatives of Walz have accused Republicans of distorting facts. Notably, Walz has a history of visiting China multiple times and has publicly criticized the Chinese government’s human rights record.

Potential Implications

The investigation could have severe implications not only for Minnesota but on a national scale as well. Chairman Comer emphasized the necessity of understanding the CCP’s thoroughness in executing political warfare on the United States and the essential reforms needed to bolster defenses against such threats.

“The Committee’s investigation of the CCP—begun long before Governor Walz was elevated to be the vice-presidential candidate for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris—seeks to understand the extent of the CCP’s infiltration and influence campaign and to identify legislative reforms to combat CCP political warfare targeting prominent Americans for elite capture.”

Proponents of the investigation suggest that Walz might have organized trips to China through his company “Educational Travel Adventures, Inc.” and arranged a student trip funded by the Chinese government in the 1990s, making him vulnerable to the CCP’s “elite capture” strategy. However, without definitive evidence, these allegations remain disputed.

Sources

1. Comer Subpoenas DHS After Whistleblower Reveals Information on Governor Walz’s Ties to the CCP