SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Tim Walz announced new measures on Friday to fight fraud in Minnesota, including the appointment of a statewide program integrity director and a partnership with a third-party firm that specializes in financial investigations.

The governor unveiled these initiatives at the Capitol, in his official capacity as the state's chief executive. Still, the event had clear political implications for his re-election bid next November. Eleven months from now, Walz will seek his third term against a slew of Republican challengers, who have already made fraud a centerpiece of their respective gubernatorial campaigns.

In his announcement Friday, Walz criticized President Trump's recent rhetoric around fraud and the Somali community and accused his Republican critics of not o

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