Washington DC - Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz and other officials have been subpoenaed by a US House committee over their response to a Covid fraud scheme.

The House Education and Workforce Committee issued subpoenas to the Minnesota governor as well as to Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong, NBC News reported.

The case concerns the state government's oversight of Feeding Our Future, a non-profit that stole $250 million in federal Covid aid funds by faking children's names on meal reimbursement claims.

The US Department of Justice charged 70 people in connection with the Feeding Our Future scheme. Five were convicted in June.

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"You are well-aware of the multi-million-dollar fraud that has occurred during your tenure as Governor," Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, chair of the House committee, wrote in a letter to Walz dated Wednesday.

The committee is now seeking information to assess "the extent of your responsibilities and actions addressing the massive fraud that resulted in the abuse of taxpayer dollars intended for hungry children," Foxx added.

A state audit released in June deemed the Minnesota Department of Education's oversight "inadequate" and said its "actions and inactions created opportunities for fraud."

In December 2022, Walz announced new steps to prevent fraud, including establishing an inspector general position within the Minnesota Department of Education.

The decision to issue a subpoena now has some Democrats scratching their heads.

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The committee's Ranking Member Bobby Scott released a timeline of the case, starting with the Justice Department's opening of an investigation into the scheme back in 2021. It wasn't until September 4 of this year that the committee even approached Walz – just under one month after Kamala Harris announced him as her 2024 running mate.

"The timing of the Republican’s subpoena to Governor Walz is weird," the Virginia Democrat said, echoing a phrase the VP hopeful has used to describe Donald Trump and the Republicans.

Walz has until September 18 to submit the documents requested to the House committee. He has not been called to testify.