Tim Walz blew 430,000 on ‘debate prep’ as critics erupt

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is facing sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers and taxpayers alike after reports revealed that his administration spent $430,000 of public funds preparing for a congressional hearing this summer.

The hefty bill, which covered legal and strategic consulting, has sparked allegations of waste, political opportunism, and misuse of taxpayer money.

According to invoices obtained by the Star Tribune, Walz's office hired the global law firm K&L Gates to prepare for a mid-June hearing before the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee.

The hearing focused on the sanctuary city policies of blue-state governors—an issue Republicans argue contributes to illegal immigration and crime.

Walz, a former U.S. congressman himself, was called to testify and ultimately spent more than two months working with legal consultants ahead of the hearing.

The total tab: $430,000. The average hourly rate charged by the firm hovered around $516.

The reaction from Minnesota Republicans was swift and scathing.

State Rep. Jim Nash, a member of the Legislative Advisory Commission, questioned why Walz would outsource such a task when the state already employs lawyers and communications specialists.

“A half a million dollars to prepare the governor to speak in a setting he knows intimately?” Nash said. “That’s taxpayer money being used for PR, not legal necessity.”

Rep. Harry Niska echoed the sentiment, calling the expenditure “absurd” and “deeply concerning.”

“Tim Walz spent over a decade in Congress,” Niska said. “He knows those hearing rooms better than most. Why would he need outside counsel—unless the purpose wasn’t legal at all, but political?”

Niska also accused the governor of using the preparation to polish his image for a possible national campaign, calling the legal bill “an audition paid for by Minnesotans.”

When pressed on the issue, Governor Walz attempted to downplay the controversy. Speaking to reporters, he called the hearing “a waste of time and money” that was driven by Republican grandstanding, not serious oversight.

“It’s not where I wanted to spend taxpayer dollars,” Walz said. “But I also wasn’t going to show up unprepared to a political stunt orchestrated by the far-right.”

His spokesperson, Teddy Tschann, blamed House Republicans—specifically Minnesota Representatives Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber—for what he described as a “manufactured circus.”

“They knew the cost of this spectacle and went forward anyway,” Tschann said. “They weren’t interested in immigration policy—they wanted a soundbite.”

Still, neither Walz nor his office directly addressed why such an exorbitant legal bill was necessary, nor did they explain why K&L Gates was selected over state resources.

Defenders of the governor have pointed out that other public officials have spent large sums preparing for federal hearings. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, for example, said her city paid nearly $650,000 for outside legal counsel earlier this year.

The City of Denver spent $250,000 preparing Mayor Mike Johnston for a congressional appearance as well.

However, critics argue that those cases are different—and that Walz, a seasoned politician with years of federal experience, didn’t need nearly half a million dollars of coaching.

“This isn’t his first rodeo,” Nash said. “This is a governor who knows exactly how Congress works. The only explanation for this kind of spending is image management.”

The scale of the legal prep has reignited rumors about Walz’s potential national aspirations.

Though he hasn’t formally announced any plans to run for president in 2028, the move fits a growing pattern: frequent appearances on cable news, pointed national speeches, and now a costly, high-profile performance before Congress.

“It sure looks like a soft launch for something bigger,” said Chris Fields, a political strategist based in Minneapolis. “Why else bring in an international firm like K&L Gates?”

Fields said the optics of the spending are terrible, regardless of intent.

“It doesn’t matter if it was technically legal,” he added. “It looks elitist. It looks self-serving. And it looks like the people of Minnesota paid for it.”

The issue has quickly spilled from the state capitol into social media feeds, with hashtags like #WalzWaste and #PRonOurDime trending regionally.

“I work two jobs and can’t afford daycare, but my governor can blow $430K rehearsing a speech?” one user wrote on X.

Even some of Walz’s own supporters appeared unsettled.

“I’m a Democrat, but this doesn’t sit right with me,” a Minneapolis resident posted on Facebook. “We’re told to tighten our belts, yet this is how our leaders spend our money?”

Polls conducted after the story broke show a dip in Walz’s approval rating—particularly among independents and suburban voters.

Republican lawmakers are now calling for a formal audit of the governor’s office expenses, and some are proposing new legislation to curb executive spending on outside consultants.

“We need clear boundaries,” said Rep. Niska. “Public money should be used for public service—not personal branding.”

Senator Mark Johnson has proposed a bill that would prohibit state officials from using taxpayer dollars to hire external legal counsel for hearings unless they are facing formal legal action.

“We’re not saying governors can’t prepare,” Johnson said. “But they shouldn’t be writing blank checks with our money.”

Governor Walz may have hoped to turn a routine congressional hearing into a platform for defending progressive policies, but instead, the narrative has shifted.

Now, he’s at the center of a firestorm about fiscal responsibility, transparency, and political ambition.

As calls for accountability mount and questions linger about the motives behind the spending, Walz faces an uphill climb to convince voters that the $430,000 bill wasn’t just the cost of preparation—but the cost of misplaced priorities.