Earlier this week, a Minnesota Democrat lawmaker urged studying “the benefits of shoplifting and retail theft.”
State Rep. Dave Pinto, D-St. Paul, said they should be studying the benefits of shoplifting and retail theft. “Perhaps people are relying on that," he said.
🚨 Minnesota State Representative Dave Pinto (D) just said they should be studying the benefits of shoplifting and retail theft.
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) March 5, 2026
“Perhaps people are relying on that.”
Absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/mNRcXqbf1m
Pinto works as a prosecutor and is the Democrat-Farm Labor Lead on the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy, according to his bio.
No wonder the state has such a massive fraud problem.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that the state of Minnesota likely lost $9 billion to criminals across 14 benefit programs. Criminals stole money through multiple programs, including programs meant to feed hungry children, help kids with autism, and help families find housing.
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Last month, Target paid $110 million to terminate a lease early in the Target Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. The company would rather pay the massive amount of money than deal with lawmakers who condone shoplifting and retail theft. A second blow was that large groups of liberals, for some reason, chose to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Target.
NOW: Minnesota Target stores are being taken over by older white liberals in full protest mode.
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 31, 2026
No chaos. No fear. Just numbers, conviction, and relentless pressure.
Nonviolent disruption sends a message, and this one is loud: ICE is not welcome. pic.twitter.com/QN3mYokFLA
The White House is cracking down on fraud in Minnesota. In February, Vice President J.D. Vance announced that a fraud task force is freezing about $259 million in Medicaid funds until the state complies with a fraud investigation.
If you're not already following @MNHRCWarRoom, you need to start.
— Walter Hudson (@WalterHudson) March 6, 2026
Just pause and take in their posts from the past couple of days.
The insanity happening nearly every moment of every day at the capitol is overwhelming. https://t.co/YMtaPBlTfI
If you listen closely, you can hear the real reason Democrats haven’t taken the multi-billion dollar fraud scandal in Minnesota seriously until it became too embarrassing. https://t.co/PiUnIKLkiZ
— Rep. Harry Niska (@HarryNiska) March 5, 2026
... What?
— MN House GOP Rapid Response (@MNHRCWarRoom) March 5, 2026
Rep Pinto (D-St. Paul): "Yesterday, there was a presentation from a group seeking to change how we address organized retail theft... It would have been good to make sure that they would study the benefit of shoplifting and of retail theft because perhaps people are… pic.twitter.com/2NhXrY1Pre
Unbelievable. https://t.co/GPq5Bs1k6y
— Lisa Demuth (@LisaDemuthMN) March 5, 2026
Minnesotans, take a good hard look at this gem from DFL syndicate operator Dave Pinto in today’s House committee hearing. He’s actually floating the idea of studying the “benefits” of shoplifting and retail theft, because hey, maybe it’s “assisting” folks in some twisted way.… https://t.co/5uQ4Ax3Wji
— Phillip C Parrish (@phillipcparrish) March 5, 2026
