A whistleblower's revelation about Department of Homeland Security employees discussing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's connections to China has sparked a congressional investigation.
According to the New York Post, the House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Department of Homeland Security following allegations of an internal group chat where employees expressed "serious concerns" about Governor Walz's ties to China.
The "NST NFT Bi-Weekly Sync" chat reportedly contains information important to the committee's ongoing investigation. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) revealed this internal debate in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
In the letter, Comer refers to a "longstanding connection" between Walz and Chinese Communist Party officials, with some of these ties allegedly documented in classified files.
Governor Tim Walz's relationship with China dates back to 1989, when he first visited the country as an American history and English instructor.
Walz, who speaks Mandarin, has made numerous trips to China over the years, including a dozen visits while serving in the U.S. military between 1989 and 2005. These trips have raised concerns among some officials about potential security risks, especially given Walz's access to classified information during his military service.
The governor's ties to China extend beyond his travels. In 1995, Walz and his wife co-founded a China tourism company, which was later dissolved. He continued to organize student trips to China in subsequent years and founded another educational entity in Minnesota in 2002.
According to Chairman Comer's letter, the congressional inquiry aims to determine whether Walz may have been "a witting or unwitting participant in the CCP's efforts to weaken our nation. "
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has separately requested information from the Pentagon about Walz's trips to China, citing potential security risks.
Brian J. Cavanaugh, a former National Security Council senior director, expressed concern about the possibility of Walz jeopardizing national security, particularly if he failed to file required foreign travel reports upon returning to the U.S.
In a 1991 interview with Nebraska's Alliance Times-Herald, Walz reportedly expressed admiration for aspects of China's Communist system.
He stated:
It means that everyone is the same and everyone shares. The doctor and the construction worker make the same. The Chinese government and the place they work for provide housing and 14 kg or about 30 pounds of rice per month. They get food and housing.
The House Oversight Committee has demanded that the Department of Homeland Security turn over all relevant documents by October 7. The investigation into Governor Walz's China ties comes amid warnings from intelligence officials about China's efforts to influence state and local government officials in the United States. The committee's probe seeks to address potential weaknesses in the federal government's defenses against Chinese political influence operations.
