By Phillip C. Parrish, LCDR USN (Ret.), Information Dominance Warfare Officer, Counterterrorism Expert, and Candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2026
Minnesotans, we’ve always prided ourselves on our resilience, our work ethic, and our no-nonsense approach to life. From the farms of the Iron Range to the bustling streets of the Twin Cities, we’ve built a state that’s the envy of many. But beneath this facade lies a web of deception that’s eroding our foundations—lies spun by powerful elites in government, corporations, media, and activist circles. As a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander with over two decades in intelligence and counterterrorism, I’ve made a career out of piercing through shadows to expose threats. I’ve blown the whistle on massive fraud schemes right here in Minnesota, from the $250 million daycare scandals I flagged in 2016 to the Feeding Our Future fiasco that stole another quarter-billion under negligent oversight. Today, as your candidate for Governor in 2026, I’m calling on you to join me in unveiling these lies, identifying the liars, and starting to ask the hard questions that will set us free.
In my recent writings—“A Call to Courage: Breaking Free from Minnesota’s Shadows of Deception”, “The Butter Rebellion: A Call to Corporate and Political Reckoning”, and “Stewarding Minnesota’s Environment: Truth Over Fear and Profit”—I’ve laid bare the patterns of exploitation that plague our state. These aren’t isolated incidents; they’re interconnected threads in a tapestry of deceit designed to enrich the few while keeping the rest of us in the dark. Let’s connect the dots, expose the culprits, and empower you to discern the truth for yourselves.
The Puppet Masters: Who’s Pulling the Strings and Why
The deception starts at the top, with a cabal of bureaucrats, politicians, and deep-pocketed influencers who collaborate to consolidate power and wealth. As I detailed in “A Call to Courage,” groups like Indivisible Twin Cities, Faith in Minnesota, and ISAIAH aren’t just advocacy organizations—they’re often fronts for shadowy funding streams that blend activism with fraud. These “puppet masters” feed disinformation to elected officials and state employees, painting whistleblowers like me as threats to maintain their grip. Politicians such as Governor Tim Walz and Secretary of State Steve Simon enable this by pushing policies that flout federal laws like the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), creating vulnerabilities in voter rolls and same-day registration that invite abuse and inflate turnout figures beyond credibility. Senator Amy Klobuchar joins the fray, decrying “health care cliffs” she helped engineer through the Inflation Reduction Act, all while accepting Big Pharma donations that pad her pockets.
This ties directly into the corporate reckoning I outlined in “The Butter Rebellion.” Titans like Cargill, General Mills, and Purdue haven’t just profited from processed foods and opioids—they’ve weaponized misinformation to vilify natural staples like butter, eggs, and red meat, bribing doctors with perks and ghost-written studies. Senator Tina Smith exemplifies the political-corporate nexus, with her timely stock trades in pharma firms like Tactile Systems Technology while overseeing health committees. Former Rep. Erik Paulsen took campaign cash from Purdue even as our state sued them over the opioid epidemic that claimed countless lives, leading to settlements like the $7.4 billion deal brokered by Attorney General Keith Ellison—a drop in the bucket compared to the devastation.
And let’s not overlook the environmental front from “Stewarding Minnesota’s Environment.” Industries like ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) have deceived us for decades, as alleged in Ellison’s 2020 lawsuit, by downplaying climate science to protect profits. On the flip side, some activists and scientists exaggerate threats for funding and influence, as seen in the “Climategate” emails suggesting data manipulation or Michael Mann’s controversial “hockey stick” graph. Groups like Greenpeace cherry-pick extreme weather to hype doomsday scenarios, ignoring natural variability to boost donations. This fear-for-profit playbook—whether from corporations minimizing risks or activists amplifying them—diverts us from real solutions and burdens Minnesotans with higher costs and misguided policies.
The Tools of Deception: Media, Fear, and Systemic Exploitation
How do these liars operate? Through controlled narratives that dictate what you see and hear. Media consolidation means a handful of corporations own the outlets that shape public opinion, often prioritizing advertiser-friendly stories over truth. In Minnesota, this manifests in overlooked scandals: the media downplays fraud rings in Medicaid housing or immigration schemes in the Twin Cities, even as federal indictments pile up. Fear is their weapon of choice—scaring you into silence or compliance. As I exposed in my articles, it’s the same tactic used to vilify healthy foods, exaggerate environmental apocalypses, or spread whispers that stifle dissent against corrupt systems.
The result? A state in decline: a $6 billion deficit from wasteful spending, rural depopulation as family farms consolidate under agribusiness pressure, polluted waterways from lax regulations, and an opioid crisis fueled by pharma greed. These lies exploit the unaware, siphoning taxpayer dollars into fraudulent nonprofits while real needs—like mental health support or election integrity—go unmet. It’s not incompetence; it’s by design, a collaboration that enriches elites at your expense.
Empowering You: Start Asking Questions and Discerning the Truth
Minnesotans, the power to change this lies with you—not in blind trust, but in courageous inquiry. Don’t take my word for it; start discerning the truth yourselves. Ask: Who funds this activist group or that politician? Follow the money trails—trace donations from Big Pharma to lawmakers, or from oil giants to disinformation campaigns. Question the narratives: Why does the media ignore fraud whistleblowers but amplify fear-mongering? Scrutinize the data: Does this climate prediction hold up against historical trends, or is it cherry-picked for alarm? Demand transparency: Insist on real-time audits for grants, biometric IDs for nonprofits, and verifiable elections.
As Governor, I’ll lead this charge with reforms that tear down these deceptions—aggressive audits to reclaim stolen funds, strict enforcement of laws, and a “People’s Kitchen Cabinet” free from dark money. But I can’t do it alone. If you’re a bureaucrat spotting red flags, a farmer squeezed by corporate policies, or a citizen tired of the spin, reach out. My team has your back, offering protection for those ready to step into the light.
This isn’t about partisanship; it’s about reclaiming our state from the shadows. The lies stop when we start questioning. Visit parrish4mn.com to join the movement, share your stories, and let’s amplify the truth together. Minnesota deserves better—honesty, integrity, and a future built on facts, not fiction.
In service to you,
Phillip C. Parrish
LCDR USN (Ret.)
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota, 2026
###