Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s administration is facing mounting backlash after it was revealed that a top Department of Education (DOE) official has a criminal record and a history of immigration enforcement—raising serious questions about state hiring and oversight.
Wilson Tindi, a Kenyan national and current director of internal audit and advisory services at the state’s DOE, was previously convicted of sexual assault and nearly deported by federal authorities.
Despite his record, state payroll records show Tindi was earning $58 per hour as recently as fiscal year 2024 and had climbed the ranks within state government agencies under Walz’s leadership.
Tindi was convicted in 2016 for sexually assaulting a woman who had been asleep in her home in Hennepin County.
The attack occurred in 2014, and court documents indicate Tindi admitted to the assault as part of a plea deal that resulted in the dismissal of a burglary charge.
He was handed a two-year sentence and stayed for five years.
Another woman had accused Tindi of a similar sexual assault in 2012, though that case was never prosecuted.
Following his conviction, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sought to deport Tindi, citing his criminal record. He had previously been targeted for deportation as early as 2008 but became a lawful permanent resident in 2014.
His renewed legal troubles reignited ICE’s removal efforts, and he was held in immigration detention.
However, after a prolonged legal battle, a judge ordered his release in February 2018 due to the length of his detention and the lack of imminent removal, The Daily Caller reports.
The state’s DOE removed Tindi’s staff profile from its website shortly after media inquiries began.
Prior to its deletion, the page described Tindi’s responsibilities as overseeing an “independent internal audit function focused on evaluating risk management, governance, and compliance across the agency.”
Public records and Tindi’s LinkedIn page show that his employment with Minnesota state agencies began in 2018, just before Walz took office in 2019.
He held prior positions at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, another major state entity, before moving into his current role at the DOE.
Tindi does not appear in ICE’s current public detention database.
His legal status remains unclear, though there have been no recent reports of immigration enforcement activity involving him.
The case is raising concerns among taxpayers and watchdog groups about the vetting process for state employees, particularly those in positions of oversight and compliance.
Critics argue that hiring and promoting someone with Tindi’s history into a leadership role not only reflects poor judgment but could also pose risks to public trust.
The controversy surrounding Tindi is not the first time Walz’s administration has come under fire over state employees with troubling criminal allegations.
In a separate incident, Dylan Bryan Adams, a Minnesota Department of Human Services employee, was reportedly caught on surveillance video vandalizing multiple Teslas while walking his dog.
Last month, 57-year-old Vance Boelter—who had previously worked for a state agency—was identified as the suspect in a deadly shooting spree that targeted Minnesota lawmakers.
The growing list of criminal allegations tied to state employees has sparked renewed criticism of Walz’s vetting processes and the overall accountability of his administration.
The Walz administration has not commented publicly on the matter.
The Minnesota DOE also declined to respond to media inquiries from outlets including TDC and Alpha News, which first reported on Tindi’s past.
As scrutiny intensifies, the controversy could become a flashpoint for debate over background checks, state transparency and the growing questions about accountability within Walz’s leadership team.
The post Walz Admin Under Fire After Convicted Sex Offender Hired at Minnesota Department of Education appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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