Vice President J.D. Vance announced on Monday that allegations concerning Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have been referred to the Justice Department’s Fraud Division. This referral is for a potential criminal investigation into claims of fraud in federally funded social services programs.
This announcement was made during an appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Prime Time,” where Vance responded to a report from the House Oversight Committee. The report suggested that state officials, including Walz and Ellison, were informed about misconduct but did not respond adequately, partly due to fears of legal repercussions and accusations of discrimination.
“We’re definitely going to look into this, Jesse. I actually came from the White House just to talk with you, so I think I have a bit of news. We’ve referred this case to the Department of Justice for a thorough criminal investigation. We’re not going to follow the Biden administration’s approach of jumping to legal conclusions before all the facts are in,” Vance stated.
Vance expressed particular concern, mentioning that some individuals in Walz’s office had noted irregularities, suggesting that it appeared there were scams involving undocumented Somali immigrants. He alleged that these whistleblowers faced backlash, being labeled as racists or xenophobes for raising questions. “Taxpayer money is disappearing,” he said.
“What this indicates to me, Jesse, is that it seemed like the fraud wasn’t taken seriously. We’ll investigate it fully and, if it heads in that direction, we’ll definitely pursue prosecution. It’s essential,” he added.
The report also highlighted problems in how state authorities responded to these fraud allegations. It pointed out that there was a lack of sufficient action despite being alerted.
Vance, appointed to lead a White House Task Force to Combat Fraud, reiterated his stance on social media, asserting that Minnesota state employees are not above the law. If they facilitated fraud or retaliated against whistleblowers, they ought to face consequences, he noted.
Additionally, Vance and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz previously announced a suspension of federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota. In response, Walz characterized the move as a “retaliation campaign” and insisted it had no connection to fraud. He stated, “Trump is weaponizing the entire federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota.”
