Republican lawmakers in Minnesota are slamming Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) after it was revealed he spent $430,000 in taxpayer funds on legal help for a congressional hearing.
The hearing, led by a GOP-controlled House committee, was focused on sanctuary city policies in Democrat-run states, including Minnesota.
The Star Tribune uncovered invoices showing that Walz’s office hired the international law firm K&L Gates.
The firm assisted the governor in preparing for his June testimony before the House Oversight Committee. The preparation effort spanned from April 10 to the day of the hearing, June 12.
In the month of May alone, legal fees for Walz’s preparation reached $232,000.
According to the invoices, the firm charged an average of $516 per hour, contributing to the total cost of $430,000 by the time of the hearing, per the Conservative Brief.
State Rep. Jim Nash, one of two Republicans on Minnesota’s Legislative Advisory Commission, criticized the decision to hire outside counsel. He questioned why Walz didn’t use state-employed lawyers or communications staff for preparation.
Nash argued that since Walz had served in Congress previously, and the state attorney general had also been a member, both should have had the experience to handle the hearing