Gov. Walz's $430K Legal Fees for Hearing Draw Fire

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz incurred $430,000 in legal fees to prepare for a June 12 U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing on immigration, hiring the law firm K&L Gates for specialized counsel. The state Attorney General’s Office initially assisted but recommended outside legal help because of the complexity of the federal-state immigration issues at stake. Republican lawmakers criticized the expense, questioning the necessity of hiring external counsel given existing state legal resources. Walz and his office argued the hearing was a politically motivated stunt by House Republicans, and that external expertise was needed. The requested funding transfer to cover the fees is under review by the Legislative Advisory Commission. Walz stated he did not want to use taxpayer money for these fees but attributed the need to the partisan nature of the inquiry.