GOP Oversight Report Finds Fraud, Whistleblower Retaliation in Minnesota Social Programs; Vance Refers Allegations Against Walz and Ellison to DOJ
The referral follows a House Oversight Committee report alleging years of fraud in Minnesota's taxpayer-funded programs and retaliation against whistleblowers. No charges have been filed.
Washington ExaminerVice President JD Vance referred Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Department of Justice for a criminal fraud investigation on Monday. Vance announced the referral in a social media post that cited a 205-page report from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee.
The report detailed years of alleged fraud in Minnesota's taxpayer-funded healthcare and social service programs and included claims of retaliation against whistleblowers. The committee report described how officials at the Minnesota Department of Human Services hired private investigators and outside law firms to monitor employees who raised concerns about suspected fraud.
It included an allegation that one manager suggested using military connections to track those employees.
According to the report, Walz and Ellison were aware of credible fraud concerns for years but did not halt payments or remove questionable providers from government programs. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated that the findings represented one of the most significant oversight failures examined by the committee.
Comer sent a letter to Vance on Monday urging a comprehensive review of Minnesota's social service programs and anti-fraud safeguards.
Vance was appointed in February to head the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. The referral follows the Trump administration's pause on federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota, announced jointly by Vance and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz. The scrutiny has centered on claims that daycare providers misused pandemic-era federal funds.
Walz ended his campaign for a third term as governor in early January. The Government Accountability Office estimates that fraud costs the federal government between $233 billion and $521 billion annually. No charges have been filed as a result of the referral.
