Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is under fire after it was revealed that his administration funneled up to $126,000 in taxpayer funds to JBS, a major meat processing company that was implicated in a child labor scandal. The controversy erupted following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, which uncovered illegal employment of migrant children at JBS facilities. These children, some as young as 13, were found working dangerous overnight shifts, cleaning hazardous machinery at several JBS plants, including one in Worthington, Minnesota.
The investigation, conducted in early 2023, revealed that at least 31 children were working in these dangerous conditions. While JBS maintains that the children were hired by a third-party cleaning service and not directly by the company, the discovery has severely tarnished the company’s reputation. JBS has been forced to confront the scrutiny around its labor practices, even as Governor Walz’s administration continued to provide funds to support the company’s workforce development.
In June, Minnesota’s Office of Higher Education announced a grant to help train 28 staff members at the JBS plant in Worthington, the very site where 22 of the children were found to have been illegally employed. Governor Walz defended his decision to allocate the funds, framing the initiative as a workforce development program. He stated, “These career growth and training opportunities allow Minnesotans to get ahead in their careers while helping businesses recruit and retain talent. It’s a win-win.”
However, critics were quick to pounce on the governor’s decision. Republican lawmakers and advocacy groups have condemned the move, highlighting the ethical concerns around using taxpayer dollars to support a company embroiled in labor violations. Florida Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna was among those who voiced strong disapproval. She took to social media to blast the funding decision, tweeting, “Walz just got busted for shoveling taxpayer dollars to a corporation that was USING MIGRANT CHILDREN to clean slaughterhouses. Literal slavery.”
The tweet quickly gained traction, sparking a broader debate about corporate responsibility, state funding, and the exploitation of vulnerable workers. Rep. Luna’s condemnation has added fuel to a growing fire of public outrage, particularly among conservative commentators who see the funding as part of a broader failure by the Walz administration to hold corporations accountable for unethical labor practices.
The child labor scandal is just one of several issues facing JBS in recent years. The company has been embroiled in multiple legal challenges, both in the U.S. and abroad. In 2020, JBS’s parent company, J&F Investments SA, pled guilty to foreign bribery charges, agreeing to pay over $250 million in fines. The company was also named in a lawsuit filed by McDonald’s, which accused several beef producers, including JBS, of conspiring to limit the beef supply and inflate prices.
Further complicating JBS’s public image, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the company in February 2024, accusing it of misleading consumers about its environmental impact. The lawsuit alleges that JBS falsely claimed to prioritize sustainability while engaging in environmentally harmful practices.
These legal and ethical issues have made JBS a target for criticism from consumer rights advocates, environmental groups, and labor activists. The company’s involvement in multiple scandals, coupled with its connections to child labor, has led many to question why the Walz administration would continue to support it financially.
As the controversy surrounding the JBS funding escalates, it threatens to become a significant issue for Governor Walz, especially as the 2024 election approaches. Critics argue that the decision to fund JBS, despite the company’s troubling labor practices, reflects poorly on the governor’s judgment and raises concerns about the state’s priorities when allocating public funds.
For his part, Governor Walz has remained steadfast in his defense of the funding, emphasizing the importance of workforce development programs for the local economy. But the growing backlash may force his administration to reconsider its relationship with JBS, particularly as more details emerge about the company’s labor practices.
The situation highlights the often-complicated relationship between state governments and large corporations, particularly those in industries like meat processing, which play a critical role in the local economy. While these companies are major employers, their business practices are increasingly coming under the microscope, and public officials are facing greater pressure to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being used to support unethical or exploitative practices.
As lawmakers and advocacy groups continue to scrutinize the Walz administration’s decision to fund JBS, the issue is likely to remain a hot topic in Minnesota politics. Whether this controversy will have a lasting impact on Governor Walz’s political fortunes remains to be seen, but it is clear that the ethical implications of the JBS funding will be a key point of debate in the coming months.
