U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sharply criticized Democratic Gov. Tony Evers for refusing to share FoodShare recipient data with federal investigators, calling his stonewalling “inconceivable” and a betrayal of Wisconsin taxpayers.
Rollins, who accompanied President Donald Trump to a farm roundtable in western Wisconsin, appeared afterward on “The Dan O’Donnell Show.” She lambasted Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul for joining a multi-state lawsuit to block the data transfer, even as red states have complied and uncovered widespread abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“It is absolutely inconceivable to me how any governor in America would refuse to partner with us,” Rollins said. “This is not red or blue. This is not Republican or Democrat. This is a program that is completely gone and spun out of control, that there is zero accountability.”
The Trump administration has made combating welfare fraud a priority. In states that cooperated, officials discovered roughly 200,000 deceased individuals still receiving benefits and more than half a million people collecting multiple payments. The USDA has also made about 1,000 arrests for food stamp fraud in the past year.
Evers has repeatedly refused the USDA’s request for recipient records, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other details. His administration joined a lawsuit with more than 20 mostly Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, arguing the demand violates privacy protections and could be used for immigration enforcement.
Evers has defended the state’s FoodShare program, telling reporters the system undergoes annual analysis and is “working just fine.” He has expressed confidence in its integrity and accused the administration of seeking ways to cut benefits. Wisconsin joined the legal challenge in July, with Kaul contending the data collection is unlawful.
Rollins pushed back forcefully on the air.
“We asked for some accountability and all the red states complied,” she said. “And what we have found in the red states, the red governors is even more shocking. … Can you imagine what we’re going to find once we get that data from blue states?”
Rollins emphasized the effort aims to preserve the program for those who truly need it.
“This is not about punishing anyone. This is about preserving a program for those people that truly need it, not for criminal cartels,” Rollins explained.
Evers’ refusal comes despite SNAP being fully federally funded. Wisconsin Republicans have contended that Evers’ position shields potential fraud at taxpayer expense while vulnerable residents risk losing benefits if funding disputes escalate. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold administrative funds from non-compliant states, though courts have issued temporary blocks.
“It’s time for Governor Evers to step up and come alongside us and help us do right by the taxpayers of this state,” she said.
