Minnesota Gov. Walz, AG Ellison Referred to DOJ for Alleged Social Program Fraud

D. Vance referred Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Justice Department for a criminal fraud investigation involving federal dollars sent to social service programs.

Vance announced the referral on June 9, 2026. ” Vance serves as the administration’s fraud czar. The referral follows a House Oversight Committee report published June 8, 2026. The report alleges that Walz and Ellison were aware of widespread taxpayer fraud in federally funded social programs for years and did not take steps to stop it.

An estimated $300 million in federal child nutrition funds and potentially $9 billion in Medicaid-related funds were lost or placed at serious risk, according to the report. The House Oversight Committee report states that potentially billions of American taxpayer dollars were allowed to flow to fraudulent actors, while vulnerable populations were harmed and whistleblowers were ignored, sidelined and retaliated against.

The committee wrote a letter on June 8, 2026, urging Vance to review Minnesota’s social service programs.

Vance was named head of the White House’s anti-fraud task force in February 2026. President Trump declared a “war on fraud” in his State of the Union address. 5 million in Medicaid funds to Minnesota.

Gov. Tim Walz responded with legislation that bolstered penalties for public fraud and extended the statute of limitations to seven years for certain fraud-related crimes. Walz, the 2024 Democratic nominee for vice president, announced in January 2026 that he would not seek reelection for governor.

Minnesota came under federal scrutiny in 2026 after allegations of fraud involving Somali-run daycare centers.