Vance Seeks DOJ Probe of Walz Over Alleged Fraud Inaction

Vice President JD Vance has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison over allegations of ignoring widespread fraud in social programs. According to multiple reports, a 205-page House Oversight Committee report released on Monday accuses senior Minnesota officials of failing to act on warnings about fraud as early as 2019.

The report alleges that Walz and Ellison knew about 'widespread taxpayer fraud' in social programs but repeatedly failed to act. It also claims that state leaders retaliated against employees who raised concerns, allowing criminal schemes to divert critical resources from vulnerable Americans. The estimated losses include $300 million in meal program fraud and potentially up to $9 billion in questionable Medicaid payments.

Vance referred the House report to the DOJ's fraud division for a criminal investigation. 'Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and intimidated whistleblowers, they must face justice,' he wrote on X.

Both Walz and Ellison have denied the allegations. Ellison called the report 'unfounded' and described Vance's referral as a 'political stunt.' A spokesperson for Walz told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the report was a 'joke' designed to distract from the Trump administration's failures.

The Justice Department is also reportedly investigating Walz, Ellison, and local officials for allegedly hindering immigration enforcement. The fraud allegations have been a focus of the Trump administration since late last year, with rightwing influencers elevating long-running fraud prosecutions. The largest scheme involved a Covid-era non-profit called Feeding Our Future, which submitted false claims that the group fed children but instead used the money to fund 'lavish lifestyles.' Aimee Bock, the orchestrator of the scheme, was recently sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison.

Vance is seeking an investigation by a new Justice Department division that has drawn intense scrutiny over the potential for political influence given its close relationship with Trump's White House. The White House announced the division's formation in January and initially said its leader would answer directly to the president instead of the typical Justice Department command.

Walz spokesperson Teddy Tschann derided the House committee as 'nothing more than a joke' that continues to 're-hash COVID-era fraud.' Ellison called the allegations unfounded and dismissed Vance's referral as 'a political stunt from an administration that uses the machinery of government to target its perceived opponents while extending leniency to those aligned with its interests.'

The House committee alleges that 'fraud warnings were elevated to the most senior levels of the Minnesota state government' and payments continued 'long after credible signs of fraud emerged.' In his referral, Vance wrote that officials in Minnesota or anywhere else in the country 'must be held accountable' if they facilitated fraud, prevented officials from stopping it or retaliated against whistleblowers who tried to report it.

The Trump administration has clashed repeatedly with Minnesota officials not only about fraud but also themassive federal immigration crackdownthat swept across the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and other communities and led to widespread protests.