Overview
- Gov. Tim Walz on Monday replaced Commissioner Shireen Gandhi with John Connolly as temporary head of the Minnesota Department of Human Services and reassigned Gandhi to lead Medicaid, with General Counsel Andrew Johnson elevated to deputy commissioner.
- Following Tuesday’s disclosure to staff, Connolly is on medical leave for colon cancer treatment until early June, leaving Gandhi and Johnson to run the department day to day.
- The Senate canceled Gandhi’s planned confirmation hearing after the switch, with Republicans saying the move sidestepped scrutiny and Democratic leaders pledging continued oversight of fraud fixes.
- Federal pressure is intensifying after CMS deferred another $91 million in Medicaid payments last week on top of about $260 million earlier in 2026, while DHS says it is halfway through checks of more than 5,500 high‑risk providers and the FBI recently searched nearly two dozen Twin Cities businesses.
- The stakes are high for over 1 million Minnesotans who rely on DHS programs, as Walz frames the changes as strengthening controls to protect services and GOP critics call for broader leadership changes to curb fraud.