Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's administration is currently under scrutiny following revelations that Wilson Tindi, a Kenyan national with a criminal background, was employed as the director of internal audit and advisory services at the Minnesota Department of Education (DOE). This has raised serious questions about the state's hiring practices and oversight mechanisms.
Wilson Tindi was convicted in 2016 of sexually assaulting a woman in Hennepin County after she had fallen asleep in her home. The incident occurred in 2014, and Tindi admitted to the assault as part of a plea deal, which led to the dismissal of an accompanying burglary charge. He was sentenced to two years but faced detention for five. An earlier accusation from 2012 of a similar nature was not prosecuted. Despite these convictions, Tindi secured a position within the Minnesota state government, earning $58 per hour according to the state payroll records for the fiscal year 2024.
Following his conviction, Tindi was almost deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to his criminal record. Although he became a lawful permanent resident in 2014, his legal troubles resurfaced, prompting ICE to renew its efforts to remove him. Tindi spent time in immigration detention but was released in February 2018 by a judge's order, which cited the length of his detention and the absence of imminent removal, as reported by The Daily Caller.
Tindi began his employment with Minnesota state agencies in 2018, just before Governor Walz took office in 2019. His previous positions included work at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency before transitioning to his current role at the DOE. The state DOE removed Tindi's staff profile from its website following media inquiries, and his legal status currently remains uncertain, with no recent reports of immigration enforcement involving him.
The controversy surrounding Wilson Tindi is intensifying scrutiny of Minnesota's state employment vetting process, particularly for roles involving oversight and compliance. Critics argue that hiring someone with Tindi's background into a leadership position not only displays a lack of judgment but also potentially undermines public trust. This incident is not isolated; other instances of state employees with criminal allegations have previously brought Walz's administration into question. For instance, Dylan Bryan Adams, an employee at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, was caught vandalizing cars, and Vance Boelter, formerly of a state agency, was implicated in a fatal shooting targeting Minnesota lawmakers.
The Walz administration and the Minnesota DOE have declined to comment on the situation. As media outlets continue to probe into Tindi's past, the issue may become a significant topic of debate, touching on matters of background checks, state transparency, and the accountability of Governor Walz's leadership.
