Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday said that a third party will audit billing for 14 Medicaid services that are deemed to be "high risk" for fraud in.

Gov. Tim Walz halted payments and ordered an independent audit across 14 high-risk programs amid growing political pressure.

Walz’s move on Oct. 29 comes after fraud schemes in Minnesota public programs have gamed state government out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The pause in payments will help the state detect “suspicious billing activity and scrutinize the use of public funds,” the governor’s office said Wednesday.

Governor Tim Walz has ordered a third-party review of Medicaid billing through the state's Department of Human Services as two major fraud investigations are underway. At the same time, the state is pausing payments for some services while the audit is underway.

Gov. Tim Walz just announced the third-party review, which could result in criminal charges against additional providers.

Payments for 14 "high-risk" Medicaid services in Minnesota will be paused as Governor Tim Walz orders a third-party audit.

Minnesota has been a Democratic stronghold in statewide races for decades, but slipping approval ratings for Walz could open the door for Republicans in 2026.

With a 53% approval rating, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ranks in the bottom half of governors nationwide, according to a Morning Consult poll.

Illegal migrants and other non-citizens in Minnesota could circumvent election law and vote simply by presenting a driver’s license on election day — though election officials stress that the practice is illegal.