Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz removed Shireen Gandhi as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MNDHS) on Monday, one day before her confirmation hearing, amid a massive fraud scandal involving hundreds of millions in lost state funds. Citizen journalists uncovered an alleged network defrauding Medicaid and housing assistance programs, particularly in Minneapolis's Somali community. Under Gandhi's leadership, the Housing Stabilization Services program ballooned from an estimated under $3 million to over $100 million in 2024 disbursements, with federal officials deeming the vast majority fraudulent. Walz demoted Gandhi to deputy commissioner and appointed John Connolly as her replacement, blaming federal officials like Dr. Mehmet Oz and President Donald Trump for politicizing the issue, while Republicans criticized the move as inadequate leadership.