JD Vance asks DOJ to investigate Tim Walz over Minnesota fraud, Ellison calls political stunt | Today’s news

Vice President JD Vance asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison following a House Republican report that alleged they failed to crack down on widespread taxpayer fraud in state welfare programs, which Ellison immediately denounced as “a political ploy by an administration that uses the machinery of perceived government opponents to target its opponents”.

What the 205-page report of the House Oversight Committee charges against Walz and Ellison

The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee released a 205-page report Monday saying Walz and Ellison knew of “widespread taxpayer fraud” in social service programs and “repeatedly failed to act.” The report further alleged that state leaders retaliated against employees who reported fraud, “allowing criminal schemes to flourish and diverting critical resources from vulnerable Americans.”

In announcing the recommendation on X, Vance said he had ordered the Justice Department’s fraud division to open a criminal investigation.

“Public officials in Minnesota are not above the law, and if they have aided and abetted fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and misled whistleblowers, they must face justice,” he wrote.

James Comer, Republican of Kentucky and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, claimed that Walz and Ellison were “responsible for one of the most spectacular oversight failures this committee has ever investigated.” His press release added that “testimony and documents show that fears of lawsuits and allegations of discrimination — not legal barriers or directives from law enforcement — were cited as reasons for continued payments to suspected fraudsters.”

The report alleges Minnesota officials were aware of fraud in social service programs as early as 2019. State agencies had the authority to suspend or stop payments to providers they suspected of fraud but “failed to act,” the report says, allowing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds to flow to fraudulent services.

Ellison says the recommendation is a political ploy by the administration aimed at its opponents

Ellison, who has filed dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration, dismissed the report’s findings as “baseless” and said Vance’s recommendation was “a political ploy by an administration that uses the machinery of government to target its perceived opponents while extending leniency to those aligned with its interests.” The report contained no evidence that he or his office ignored or failed to act on allegations of fraud, he said.

“The people of Minnesota know the difference between accountability and political theater. They’ve seen the consequences of these policies first hand,” Ellison said. “A partisan message and social media post from the vice president doesn’t change the record — and it doesn’t change our commitment to uphold the law, protect the public and pursue justice without fear or favor.”

Walz’s office says oversight committee is ‘nothing more than a joke’

Walz’s office pointed to his congressional testimony in March, in which he called the federal government’s campaign against Minnesota “political retaliation” and described measures his administration has taken to deal with fraud.

Teddy Tschann, a spokesman for Walz, said the committee “has proven time and time again that this is nothing more than a joke.”

“They continue to repeat the scams of the Covid era to distract from endless wars, gas prices, ICE and the president’s insider trading,” Tschann said. “Governor Walz is happy to see crooks go to jail. If the committee is concerned about corruption, it should investigate why President Trump continues to let crooks out of prison.”

At the center of the dispute is the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme

The largest scheme at the heart of the allegations was a $250 million fraud involving a Covid-era nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, which made false claims that the organization was feeding children. The money was instead used to fund a “lavish lifestyle”, the federal government said. Aimee Bock, the organizer of the scheme, was recently sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison. Dozens of others, mostly Somalis, were prosecuted in the case.

Other programs, including childcare providers and autism therapy providers that bill Medicaid, face charges as the fraud investigation continues. The extent of the fraud led Walz to abandon his bid for a third term as governor, saying he needed to focus on running the state rather than campaigning.

Why the Trump administration has made fraud in Minnesota a political priority

Scams in Minnesota became a fixture of the Trump administration late last year after right-wing influencers ramped up the long-running fraud prosecution and created videos detailing the new schemes. Allegations of fraud, particularly those directed at Somali communities, served as part of the rationale for deploying thousands of federal immigration agents to the state. Two US citizens were killed in the streets by agents earlier this year.

The Justice Department is also reportedly investigating Walz, Ellison and local officials for allegedly obstructing immigration enforcement. Federal authorities have tried to freeze funding for programs including child care support and food aid, citing fraud concerns.

House Democrats say Republicans are calling fraud to go after Minnesota politically

House Democrats on the Oversight Committee released a counter report arguing that Republicans are “once again rolling back a fraudulent scheme that is being aggressively investigated and prosecuted by federal and state authorities.” They said the Republican effort amounted to using fraud as a political excuse to target Minnesota and its leadership.

House Republicans brought in Walz and Ellison for questioning earlier in the year and released a preliminary version of the full report in March.