VP JD Vance Calls for Fraud Investigation into Minnesota Officials

Vice President JD Vance announced on Monday that he is referring Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Justice Department. The referral is for a criminal fraud investigation concerning social services programs. Vance stated that Minnesota officials should be held accountable if they engaged in fraud, lied under oath, or intimidated whistleblowers. This was prompted by a letter and report from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee.

The committee’s report, released the same day, alleged that Minnesota officials, including Walz and Ellison, knew about widespread taxpayer fraud in federally funded social programs but failed to address it. Both Walz’s and Ellison’s offices did not immediately comment on the referral but criticized the report in statements to other media outlets.

The House Oversight Committee also urged Vance to examine Minnesota’s social services programs in his role as head of the White House’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Vance was appointed to this role in February after President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “war on fraud” during the State of the Union address. Following this announcement, Vance and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz halted federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota.

Governor Walz previously termed this action a “campaign of retribution,” accusing Trump of targeting blue states like Minnesota. Federal scrutiny of Minnesota began in Trump’s second term over daycare fraud allegations. In January, state investigations concluded those childcare facilities operated appropriately.

In April, federal law enforcement executed raids to investigate welfare fraud. These actions were part of the Department of Homeland Security’s campaign against the misuse of taxpayer funds. Trump’s allies claimed the fraud involved the state’s Somali community, a frequent topic of Trump’s criticism.

Governor Walz defended the operations, stating the raids happened because state agencies identified and reported suspicious activities. He emphasized the state’s commitment to apprehending fraudsters.

This isn’t the first investigation involving Walz under Trump’s administration. The Justice Department investigated Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement. This inquiry followed increased federal officer presence and subsequent protests in Minneapolis. Walz called this investigation politically driven.