Category: USA Politics

The suspect authorities say killed an ROTC instructor at Old Dominion University had previously been convicted of providing material support to ISIS but received a shorter prison sentence than federal prosecutors sought before his release in 2024, according to court records.

Mohamed Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sierra Leone, entered a classroom Thursday at the Norfolk school and opened fire after confirming it was an ROTC class, killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, authorities said. The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office said ROTC cadets physically subdued Jalloh and stopped the attack, adding that their actions “rendered [him] no longer alive.”

“The horrific tragedy that occurred today on ODU’s campus never should have happened,” Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, R-Va., said following the attack.

Court records show Jalloh was arrested in 2016 for providing material support to ISIS.

MAMDANI AVOIDS ‘RADICAL ISLAMIC TERROR’ PHRASE AFTER ISIS-INSPIRED NYC ATTACK, ECHOING OBAMA-ERA DEBATE

Federal prosecutors sought a 20-year prison sentence, but Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady ultimately sentenced him to 132 months — roughly 11 years.

According to prosecutors, a now-deceased ISIS member overseas arranged contact between Jalloh and an individual he believed to be a fellow supporter but who was actually an FBI confidential human source. Investigators said Jalloh also traveled to Nigeria in connection with the plot.

The overseas terrorist wanted an attack carried out, while Jalloh told the FBI source he decided not to renew his enlistment with the Virginia Army National Guard after listening to lectures from Al Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki — a New Mexico native against whom President Barack Obama ordered a fatal drone strike in 2011.

“The defendant was fully aware of what he was doing, and the consequences of those actions. His only misgivings seemed to be a fear that he would waver at the critical moment,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum obtained by the Associated Press.

FBI DISRUPTS ALLEGED ISIS-INSPIRED NEW YEAR’S EVE ATTACK PLOT TARGETING NC GROCERY STORE

O’Grady later handed down an 11-year sentence that included mental health treatment and substance abuse testing, according to the wire service, and Jalloh was ultimately released in 2024.

Jalloh’s release also required no contact with any terrorist organizations and computer monitoring during probation.

“Jalloh was sentenced in 2017 to 132 months in prison for providing material support to ISIS. The [government] had asked for a sentence of 240 months, the statutory maximum,” former federal prosecutor William Shipley wrote on X.

“The Judge who imposed the reduced sentence was Senior Judge Liam O’Grady, in the Eastern District of Virginia, a GWB appointee. Judge O’Grady announced he was taking Senior Status in June 2020 — right in the heart of the start of COVID, meaning there was no chance that Pres[ident] Trump would be able to get his replacement confirmed.”

“Joe Biden ended up nominating his replacement — Judge Patricia Giles.” Giles, he said, controversially ruled in 2024 that Virginia had illegally purged noncitizens from the voter rolls too close to that year’s election and ordered their restoration.

AMERICAN EXTREMIST ADMITS BANKROLLING ISIS TERRORISTS, PLOTTING US VIOLENCE WITH HOMEMADE BOMB: FEDS

Asked whether the spate of recent attacks shows a resurgence of ISIS threats to the homeland or if previously lax immigration policies have played a role, a spokesperson for National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent pointed to recent comments he made after the Iran mission began:

“As the Iran conflict continues to unfold, ODNI’s National Counterterrorism Center is engaged and operating at full capacity, 24/7. We are tracking developments in real time, assessing any potential risks to the homeland, identifying emerging threats, and providing timely, actionable intelligence to the White House, law enforcement, and interagency partners to detect and prevent attacks against the American people,” Kent said.

Kent said counterterrorism officials are “acutely aware” and focused on eliminating “persistent” threats posed by thousands of people with terror ties who “poured into our nation unchecked during four years of open borders under Biden.”

“Constant vigilance is a must. Stay aware of your surroundings, and if you see something suspicious, report it immediately to local law enforcement. Every one of us has a role to play in keeping this nation secure,” Kent said.

A DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital there are “no known or credible threats to the homeland” at this time and that federal agents are “maintaining a constant state of vigilance to keep Americans safe.”

Fox News Digital reached out to ODNI, the FBI and O’Grady for comment.

Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., has put criticism of soaring utility costs at the center of his re-election bid in one of the most competitive House districts in the country, but state Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-N.Y., Riley’s likely general election challenger, argues the incumbent Democrat is quietly profiting from the industry.

In response to proposed rate hikes from New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), Riley has accused the company of “robbery” and seeking to “line the pockets” of its Spanish owner, Iberdrola. 

Recent reporting from Mid-Hudson News found that Riley owns up to $250,000 in mutual funds that hold shares of Iberdrola. The outlet also reported that Riley’s campaign received a total of $1,500 from a lobbyist who directly represented Avangrid, Iberdrola’s primary U.S. subsidiary, at the time the donations were made.

The NYSEG-tied contributions and investment listed on Riley’s financial disclosure report were reviewed and verified by Fox News Digital. 

BIDEN’S GREEN ENERGY FIASCO, NOT TRUMP’S REFORMS, IS JACKING UP YOUR ELECTRIC BILL

“I think we could sum it up in one word: hypocrite,” Oberacker told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I don’t know any other word that fully encompasses what’s going on.”

Riley’s campaign fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling Oberacker’s attack a “pathetic attempt to distract from the fact that he takes NYSEG’s corporate PAC checks.”

“The fact is, Josh doesn’t own stocks, doesn’t take corporate PAC money, and is the only person in this race who’s actually taking on the utility monopolies to lower our bills,” the spokesperson said.

Avangrid New York PAC has donated $350 to Oberacker since he began serving in the state Senate. However, an Oberacker campaign spokesman said those donations were returned prior to his entering the congressional race.

Riley, a first-term Democrat, narrowly won a purple swing district in 2024 that President Donald Trump lost by two points. The president handed Oberacker his “complete and total” endorsement in February.

Though Democrats nationwide are seeking to capitalize on voter discontent with rising costs ahead of November’s midterm elections, Oberacker said his campaign is rolling out proposals that are laser-focused on affordability issues.

The three-term state senator unveiled a “ratepayer bill of rights” in late 2025 that would require itemized billing and in-person hearings in communities subject to a rate hike, among other provisions.

If the legislation is signed into law, “The average person who’s looking at these increases in bills could actually say, ‘Where’s this going? What is this charge?” Oberacker said.

AS TRUMP TOUTS TARIFF WINDFALL, BATTLEGROUND STATES SHOULDER BILLIONS IN COSTS

Oberacker also contends that “radical environmental policies” enacted by Albany Democrats are responsible for making New Yorkers pay some of the highest energy bills in the country. The Empire State’s residential electricity rates were more than 50% higher than the national average in December 2025, according to data compiled by the Energy Information Administration.

“The folks in upstate New York are being squeezed at every turn,” he said. “I’m running to bring a reality check to the congressional district.”

National Republicans have sought to tie Riley to New York’s 2019 climate law, whose implementation is widely believed to be contributing to higher electric bills. Several left-wing groups that have previously endorsed Riley — such as the New York affiliates of the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and the Working Families Party — also advocated for the climate legislation.

A Feb. 26 memo from the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority projected that households would pay $4,000 in additional energy costs per year if the state enacts a carbon tax as called for by the law. Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., warned of “cataclysmic” costs for businesses last week, despite previously supporting the idea. 

The sprawling upstate New York district could be pivotal in keeping House Republicans’ slim majority in November. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as “Lean Democrat.”

“There is no doubt that the House majority runs through the congressional New York 19th district,” Oberacker said.

Florida lawmakers are sending Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis a strict elections bill modeled after the federal SAVE America Act strongly championed by President Donald Trump that mandates voters verify their citizenship when registering.

Lawmakers in Tallahassee, Florida, in the GOP-dominated state House approved the measure in a 77–28 vote Thursday, hours after the bill passed the Republican-controlled state Senate 27–12. The votes in both houses of the Florida legislature were nearly entirely along party lines.

DeSantis, a supporter of what he calls “the Florida version of the SAVE Act,” is expected to sign the measure when it reaches his desk. 

“Although Florida has already enacted much of what the federal legislation contemplates, this will further fortify our state as the leader in election integrity,” the governor highlighted in a social media post.

SENATE GOP EYES BLAME GAME AS TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT HEADED FOR DEFEAT

The developments in Florida come as the federal bill faces an uncertain future in Congress.

The SAVE Act, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, narrowly passed the GOP-controlled House in February mostly along party lines. But it’s stalled in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the chamber, far short of the 60 vote threshold needed to pass the bill.

The federal bill would require strict voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements across the country. Republicans say the bill is necessary to secure election integrity.

While polls indicate the vast majority of Americans — regardless of the political affiliation — support voter IDs at the polls and preventing noncitizens from voting in federal elections, Democrats argue the bill is not needed, since citizenship already is a requirement to vote and instances of noncitizen voting are rare.

THUNE GUARANTEES VOTER ID BILL TO HIT THE SENATE DESPITE SCHUMER, DEM OPPOSITION: ‘WE WILL HAVE A VOTE’

Democrats and voting rights groups also claim that the federal bill would create unnecessary barriers, making it harder for voters to cast a ballot.

Trump, who is intent on holding the Republican congressional majorities in the 2026 midterm elections, said earlier recently that the federal bill should be the top priority in Congress and that if passed, it “will guarantee the midterms” for Republicans.

But the Florida bill’s proof of citizenship requirement wouldn’t take effect until January, after the November 2024 midterm elections. And the bill also doesn’t limit the Sunshine State’s allowance for excuse-free mail-in-voting. 

Trump has long railed against mail-in-balloting.

SCHUMER DOUBLES DOWN ON GOP VOTING BILL ‘JIM CROW 2.0’ DESPITE DEMOCRATIC VOTER SUPPORT

The Florida measure also would prevent college students from using their student IDs when voting in person, but that provision wouldn’t take effect until 2027.

“This bill creates real barriers for everyday Floridians, especially those with the fewest resources,” Democratic state Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis of Orlando argued in a social media post. “It will disproportionately impact working families, seniors, and college students who want to exercise their voice and right to vote.” 

The bill would make Florida the most populous state in the nation to mandate proof-of-citizenship to register to vote.

Arizona and Kansas enacted similar requirements in the past two decades, and Louisiana passed a law two years ago.

Proof-of-citizenship bills passed recently in the South Dakota and Utah legislatures, and are awaiting the governors’ signatures.

And in 2024, New Hampshire mandated that all first-time voters show proof of citizenship when registering.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Friday morning press briefing that the U.S. “is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military” and that the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader was injured and “likely disfigured.”

“Desperate and hiding, they’ve gone underground, cowering,” Hegseth said of Iranian leadership. 

“That’s what rats do. We know the new so-called not-so-Supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” he said.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the beginning of the war, issued a written statement on Thursday that Hegseth described as “weak.” 

“It was a written statement,” Hegseth said. “Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father dead. He’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It’s a mess for them. Who’s in charge? Iran may not even know.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated

A pair of shootings on Thursday, one involving a suspect linked to ISIS, has Republicans sounding the alarm to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while Democrats dig further into their position.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus again blocked a full-year funding bill for the agency, as well as multiple attempts to provide temporary funding, on Thursday. Just as the vote ended and as lawmakers fled Washington, D.C., an active shooter incident at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Mich., erupted.

The suspect died in a shootout with police in that incident. Meanwhile, another shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia with a suspect previously imprisoned for supporting ISIS led to one person killed and two others injured. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital, “At some point, the consequences, impacts of not funding DHS are real.”

DEMS VOTE TO KEEP DHS CLOSED DESPITE AIRPORT CHAOS, IRANIAN SLEEPER CELL THREAT

Senate Republicans have tried and failed three times to pass full-year funding for the agency, and Thune noted that it had been two weeks since Schumer and Democrats responded to the latest compromise offer from the White House.

When asked if the latest shooting could make Democrats budge, he said, “I’m not sure.”

“But it’s a dangerous game and people are going to get hurt,” Thune said.

‘YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT’: TEMPERS FLARE IN SENATE AS DHS SHUTDOWN DEBATE ERUPTS, STALEMATE DIGS DEEPER

The funding impasse has caused the agency to be shuttered for nearly one month, with little hope in Congress that a deal can be reached soon. Republicans have warned that because of President Donald Trump’s war on Iran, there could be increased threats in the U.S. that DHS would have to handle without proper funding.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., blasted Schumer and Democrats for continuing their blockade and accused them of trying to “peel apart” DHS.

“They are so beholden and detached to the far-left component of this nation that they don’t care about everybody else,” Barrasso said. “We’ve had terrorist attacks right here in the homeland — two in the last two weeks.”

KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS

Democrats spent much of Thursday trying to fund the agency one piece at a time in a bid to carve out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for which they have sought stringent reforms that Republicans say go too far.

Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for comment on whether the latest shootings would change his calculus on the shutdown, but it did not immediately respond.

Instead, Schumer released a statement on the synagogue shooting that did not mention the agency or the funding battle.

“Antisemitism is not theoretical. It is real, and it is deadly,” Schumer said. “In solidarity with good-thinking people everywhere, it must be faced head-on, denounced and defeated. Every one of us has a responsibility to not just stand up against this pernicious hate, but to fight it wholeheartedly, no matter where it comes from.”

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama declared “the enemy is inside the gates” when sharing a post on X that juxtaposed a photo of the September 11, 2001, terror attack on the Twin Towers with an image of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The post Tuberville shared was from an account called “End Wokeness,” which included a message that read, “Less than 25 years apart.” 

The image appears to show Mamdani hosting a Ramadan Iftar event at city hall, based on an Instagram post from an account called “muslimnews” that includes video footage which matches up with the image of Mamdani that End Wokeness shared on X.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI WILL BE FIRST MAYOR TO BE SWORN IN ON QURAN DURING NEW YORK CITY INAUGURATION

Mamdani, who is both a Muslim and a democratic socialist, directly responded to Tuberville’s remark.

“Let there be as much outrage from politicians in Washington when kids go hungry as there is when I break bread with New Yorkers,” Mamdani wrote in a post on X when sharing Tuberville’s tweet.

Democrats blasted Tuberville in response to the remark.

MAMDANI SPARKS VIRAL OUTRAGE OVER DINNER PHOTO WITH MAHMOUD KHALIL INSIDE GRACIE MANSION: ‘DISGRACEFUL’

“Racist. Islamophobic. Disgusting. Republicans just want to Make America White Again,” Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts declared in a post on X. 

“This is mindless hate,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asserted in a post on X. “Muslim Americans are cops, doctors, nurses, teachers, bankers, bricklayers, mothers, fathers, neighbors, mayors, and more. Islamophobic hate like this is fundamentally un-American and we must confront and overcome it whenever it rears its ugly head.”

Tuberville shared Schumer’s post and declared, “Calling Radical Islam out for being a CULT doesn’t make you an ‘Islamophobe.’ Radical Islamists chant ‘death to America’ and would love to see every Christian and Jew murdered. Under Sharia Law, if you are not a Muslim, you are the ENEMY. Under Sharia Law, minorities are PERSECUTED. Under Sharia Law, women are SOLD, RAPED, and TRAFFICKED. Don’t believe me?? Read it for yourself! Radical Islam is NOT compatible with the Constitution and has NO PLACE IN AMERICA. I won’t be silenced about this.”

MAMDANI TOUTS LANDMARK COURT VICTORY AGAINST REPEAT OFFENDER LANDLORD IN HOUSING ENFORCEMENT PUSH

Tuberville also posted “the enemy is inside the gates” on Dec. 31 when sharing a screenshot of a New York Times headline about Mamdani being slated to be the first Big Apple mayor to use a Quran for his swearing in.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the U.S. was “totally destroying” and “killing” Iran, warning to watch “what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”

“We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in the early morning hours on Friday.

“Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth,” he continued. “We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time.”

4 US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN REFUELING AIRCRAFT CRASH IN IRAQ

Trump also appeared to signal significant developments later on Friday, writing, “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”

“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so!” the president said.

TRUMP SAYS US ‘TOTALLY DESTROYING’ IRAN AND TO ‘WATCH WHAT HAPPENS’ FRIDAY

The president’s post comes nearly two weeks since he launched the U.S. war against Iran in conjunction with close U.S. ally Israel on February 28.

The effort has proven controversial, and Americans have been facing surging gas prices domestically during the conflict.

US DESTROYS AGING IRANIAN WARPLANES, VIDEO SHOWS

“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stoping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World. I won’t ever let that happen!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Thursday.

Top House Republicans are eyeing a surge in military funding as the U.S. continues its joint operation with Israel against Iran, and some are arguing that a second “big, beautiful bill” is the vehicle to get it done.

Republicans are discussing the possibility of supplemental funding to aid the U.S. effort as Iran continues to retaliate against allies in the region. 

Senior House GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the resulting heightened national security environment means that Congress has a responsibility to ensure the armed forces are prepared for whatever threats may arise. At the same time, they’re skeptical that Democrats will provide the votes necessary to pass such a funding bill through traditional means.

“They are certainly not going to spend an additional dime on the military, on security, on any of the things that we care about,” Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital of the opposing party. “The threats around the world have never been higher. They’ve never been greater. And we have to recapitalize after four just disastrous years of President Biden completely decimating our military.”

OPERATION EPIC FURY SURVIVES SENATE CHALLENGE AS REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS BEHIND TRUMP

“So this conflict right now, and the future of our country and our Western values, have to be secured by additional defense spending, which can only happen in a reconciliation bill.”

Republicans passed a sweeping tax and policy bill last summer dubbed President Donald Trump’s landmark One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. It was done via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to change broad swaths of fiscal law while sidelining the minority party — in this case, Democrats.

It makes that possible by lowering the threshold for advancing legislation in the Senate from 60 votes to a simple majority, lining it up with the House.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP TARGETS AFFORDABILITY WITH RECONCILIATION 2.0 PLAN AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said he believed an additional funding package for Iran was inevitable but added, “The politics are such that there’s no guarantee that the supplemental will pass.”

“On top of that, the president has been talking about a big capital investment to modernize the military,” Arrington told Fox News Digital. 

“If we can’t get Democrats to support either of those endeavors — I think we’ve got a better chance of getting support on an emergency supplemental than we do on a one-time capital investment — but I think that reconciliation may be the only train leaving the station that could address those important things.”

Pfluger also signaled a broader path: “Is it specific to Iran or is it more general and more broad to just increasing defense spending and making sure that our military has what they need to deter Iran and others? I think that’s probably the more likely path.”

However, he noted that reconciliation meant that spending would likely have to be offset by cuts elsewhere, something that could appease fiscal hawks wary of bloated spending levels.

“So where do we find the savings? I’ve got some ideas on that. I think it’s related to fraud. I think there’s a lot of money to be saved when we look at fraud, like what happened in Minnesota with the daycares and the billions of dollars that went out the window there,” Pfluger said.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO CONGRESS’ OPTIONS ON HAMSTRINGING TRUMP’S WAR POWERS IN IRAN

The idea of a second reconciliation bill has already been met with skepticism by a significant number of Republicans, many of whom have cited the GOP’s razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate.

But a senior House Republican who also spoke with Fox News Digital argued that the situation in Iran could bring the unity Republicans need.

“That would be the biggest motivating factor in another reconciliation bill,” the lawmaker said.

And Pfluger pointed out that there was precedent — Democrats passed two reconciliation bills themselves when they last controlled Congress at the beginning of former President Joe Biden’s term.

“We should remind ourselves that they stuck together, and they were able to do that. So should we,” he said.

But Arrington warned that lawmakers would have to move fast for something to be attainable.

“The window is closing, and I don’t see us being able to do a reconciliation bill if we get past the spring, because we’ll be too close to the election,” Arrington said.

Four U.S. service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed.

A U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq around 2 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command confirmed early Friday. Four of the six crew members aboard the aircraft have been confirmed dead as rescue efforts continue.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. Officials said the loss of the aircraft was not the result of hostile fire or friendly fire.

The identities of the service members are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and will be released 24 hours after those notifications are complete.

FORMER TOPGUN PILOT DECLARES IRAN MILITARY ‘OVER WITH’ AMID US AIR SUPERIORITY, BUT WARNS OF ANOTHER DANGER

The KC-135 Stratotanker is a U.S. Air Force aircraft that refuels other planes midair, allowing them to fly longer missions without landing. It can also be configured for medical evacuations and surveillance, according to the Air Force.

Based on the Boeing 707 design, the KC-135 has been in service for more than 60 years, supporting the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied aircraft. The Air Force is gradually replacing the aging fleet with next-generation KC-46A Pegasus tankers.

Despite upgrades, concerns have been raised about the durability of the older aircraft. The Congressional Research Service reported that the Air Force operated 376 KC-135s last year across active duty, the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve.

IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM

A standard crew includes a pilot, co-pilot and boom operator, who controls the refueling boom from the rear of the aircraft. Some KC-135s are also equipped with wing-mounted pods and can carry cargo or passengers when needed.

A second U.S. official said another KC-135 was involved in the incident and landed safely in Israel, according to Israel’s ambassador to the United States.

The crash follows last week’s mistaken downing of three U.S. F-15E fighter jets by friendly Kuwaiti fire. 

Refueling tankers could become increasingly important if the conflict with Iran continues, as U.S. aircraft may need to fly longer missions deeper into the region.

As Minnesota’s fraud scandal continues to make headlines, signature legislation signed by Gov. Tim Walz extending the amount of paid leave available to Minnesota workers is already causing major headaches and concerns from critics worried about potential abuse of even more dollars.

The legislation, which took effect on January 1, allows Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks a year off with partial pay to care for a newborn or a sick family member, and up to 12 weeks to recover from their own serious illness. Benefits are capped at 20 weeks a year for employees who take advantage of both.

Two months in, the legislation is already receiving pushback, including from the state’s largest, non-partisan business advocacy organization.

“Beyond just anti-fraud sentiments, employers are reporting a few concerning trends,” Lauryn Schothorst from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce told Fox 9 Minneapolis.

TAFOYA RIPS WALZ ‘DODGING’ ACCOUNTABILITY IN HEARING, UNVEILS PLAN TO FIGHT FRAUD: ‘FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW’

“Providers are being pressured by patients for the full 12 weeks of leave, even if their condition does not require it. A number of respondents have shared that their employees are making more on paid leave than the wage replacement thresholds in law. Employees are going on vacation or to music festivals while supposedly on leave. These anecdotes don’t necessarily reveal fraud or a lack of oversight by the department. They highlight concerns with the broad eligibility and limited employer recourse elements of the law. To employers, overuse is abuse.”

Two Republican lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital agreed with that assessment.

“The chamber is right,” State Sen. Michael Holmstrom said. “Minnesota is not a business-friendly state. Employers were already offering this benefit and then the state got in between employers and their employees, which it has no business doing.”

Holmstrom says a major employer in his district has seen a 700% increase in paid leave usage since the law took effect and the company is unable to backfill those positions with skilled workers to compensate.

The result, Holmstrom explained, is carrying on with business as usual without replacements and providing a lower level of service. 

State Sen. Mark Koran told Fox News Digital he also agreed with the chamber and suggested fraud concerns are valid, saying there will be “no real enforcement” because the “state removed the employer from the oversight and administration of the program.”

GOP LAWMAKER UNVEILS WALZ ACT AFTER BILLIONS LOST IN MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL

Koran explained: “The program isn’t being used as intended, which Republicans predicted. It was sold as a replacement for short and long-term leave replacement. Now it’s a complex sick leave program with the effective date on day one, not the traditional seventh day of injury or illness.”

“The liberal use guidelines mean employees can take a day off every week, or every Monday and Friday for a long weekend. It’s a huge negative impact on employers’ ability to find substitute labor and puts Minnesota in the bottom tier of business competitiveness.”

Ultimately, Koran says the law will result in fewer jobs, lower pay, decreased benefits and a “continued exodus of business creation and expansion out of Minnesota.”

 On social media, critics have echoed similar sentiments, with some pointing out that most businesses in Minnesota already offered paid leave, making state interference unnecessary. 

“No way,” Brian McClung, former spokesperson for former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty posted on X. “I am shocked – shocked! If only someone had warned the MN Democrat trifecta that creating an expensive, cumbersome, bureaucratic system might go badly (when the vast majority of businesses already offered paid leave without a mandate).”

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment.

The new state paid leave program is being enforced by a new government agency called the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development with more than 400 full-time employees overseeing the process, causing uneasiness from some given the multiple state agency bureaucracies that oversaw the massive fraud scandal. 

Earlier this year, when the law was about to take effect, Fox News Digital reported on concerns that the bill could open the door up for even more fraud, with Bill Glahn, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, describing the legislation at the time as the “next billion-dollar fraud.”

“When you build a multi-billion-dollar state benefit program with weak oversight, fraudsters line up,” Townhall columnist and Minnesota resident Dustin Grage, told Fox News Digital in January. “We’ve already seen what happens in Minnesota. The paid family leave system will be a magnet for abuse.” 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development defended the program. 

“Minnesota is not unique in enacting a state paid family and medical leave program – we are one of 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have done so. The United States is an outlier – it’s one of only seven countries worldwide that lacks a national paid family and medical leave program. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics noted in 2023 that 73% of American civilian workers lack access to paid family leave,” the statement said. 

 “We recognize that Paid Leave is a big change for Minnesota employers. That’s why we’ve worked closely with employers around the state, plus many employer advocacy groups, to develop tools and materials to make administering Paid Leave as smooth as possible. We have received positive feedback from many employers, and we are consistently improving service offerings.”

The spokesperson added that the department “takes program integrity seriously.”

“While the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has not shared the underlying data from its survey, the Chamber has presented its objections to paid family and medical leave programs for years at the Minnesota Legislature. Despite these objections, the Chamber has been a good partner in helping educate employers about Paid Leave.”