Justice Department to Charge 15 People in Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Case

The Justice Department plans to announce criminal charges on Thursday against 15 people for attempting to defraud Minnesota Medicaid and other social service programs in the state of more than $90 million. 6 million in fraudulent claims to Medicaid, the public health plan that covers low-income people.

Additional defendants will be charged with filing bogus claims to Medicaid for other services, including those that assist disabled people with obtaining housing and living independently.

Minnesota's generous social safety net programs has been a concern for years. In 2022, it became a major scandal after federal prosecutors charged dozens of people accused of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from a Covid-era program created to feed low-income children.

President Trump focused attention on fraud in Minnesota after news reports and a social media video from a conservative content creator last year.

Administration officials cited fraud among the reasons for sending hundreds of federal agents to Minnesota to crack down on illegal immigration. That operation set off fierce protests and led to the killings of two American citizens early this year.

U.S. attorney's office in Minnesota, hobbling investigations that had been underway for months. In March, the White House started a broad initiative to combat fraud nationwide, an effort being led by Vice President JD Vance. Last week, Mr. 3 billion in federal payments to California because, he said, the state had failed to combat Medicaid fraud.