JD Vance refers Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and AG Keith Ellison to DOJ for fraud investigation

U.S. Vice President JD Vance sent a formal criminal referral to the Department of Justice’s new Fraud Division, urging an investigation of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. The referral follows a 205‑page House Oversight Committee report that alleges the two officials knew of systemic fraud in federally funded social programs—including child‑nutrition and Medicaid funds—since at least 2019 but failed to act, allowing as much as $300 million in child‑nutrition dollars and potentially $9 billion in Medicaid dollars to be misused. The report says state officials ignored warnings, continued payments to fraudulent providers, and retaliated against whistleblowers. Vance said, “I’ve referred these allegations to DOJ’s new Fraud Division for criminal investigation. Minnesota state officials are not above the law.” Governor Walz dismissed the committee’s findings as “a joke.” The referral marks Vance’s first major action as the administration’s fraud czar and could lead to a federal criminal probe of the Minnesota officials.