Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is facing strong backlash from Republicans after it was revealed he spent around \$430,000 of taxpayer money on outside legal counsel to prepare for his congressional testimony on sanctuary-city policies.
Documents obtained by the *Star Tribune* show the Walz administration hired law firm K\&L Gates between April and June 2025, paying an average of \$516 per hour, with May alone costing \$232,000. The funding came from the state’s general fund and was approved by the Legislative Advisory Commission.
Walz’s office defended the decision, stating that while the state attorney general initially provided support, the complexities of a partisan-led federal hearing required expert legal strategy to protect Minnesota’s interests. However, Republican lawmakers criticized the spending as wasteful, arguing the AG’s office should have sufficed.
Some, like Rep. Harry Niska, accused Walz of using state funds for political image-building, possibly with national ambitions in mind. Walz dismissed the hearing as a political stunt and said the partisan questioning yielded no new findings. Though critics view the expenses as misuse of public funds, supporters point to similar spending by officials like Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, showing Walz is not alone in seeking external counsel for politically charged hearings.
Still, fiscal conservatives and watchdogs warn this trend risks diverting taxpayer money from essential services. In response, some Minnesota legislators are proposing restrictions on future use of public funds for legal support in political contexts. The debate raises broader questions about the boundaries between legitimate governance expenses and political maneuvering, and whether taxpayer-funded legal defenses should require stricter oversight.
