Vice President J.D. Vance has submitted a formal criminal referral to the Department of Justice demanding an immediate investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison following explosive findings that they allegedly knew about massive fraud schemes but failed to act, allowing billions in taxpayer dollars to be stolen.
House Report Reveals Years of Ignored Warnings
A 205-page House Oversight Committee report details how senior officials in the Walz administration and Ellison’s office were aware of credible fraud concerns as early as 2019 within the Minnesota Department of Human Services and by 2020 within the Department of Education. The report alleges that despite clear warning signs, state agencies continued cutting checks to suspected fraudsters for eight months after identifying serious deficiencies, even after FBI raids began.
The most notorious case involved the Feeding Our Future COVID fraud scheme, where at least 79 defendants face federal charges for stealing $250 million in taxpayer funds. State officials possessed authority to suspend payments to suspected fraudsters without court orders but refused to exercise it, citing fears of litigation and accusations of racism rather than legal requirements.
Whistleblowers Faced Retaliation and Intimidation
The report documents how employees who attempted to sound alarms about the fraud faced systematic retaliation. Tactics included intimidation through regular high-level check-ins, threats of surveillance, and other efforts to silence whistleblowers. During March congressional testimony, Representative Brandon Gill confronted Walz about these retaliation tactics. While Walz denied knowledge of the intimidation methods, he admitted responsibility for the massive loss of tax dollars under his watch.
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan pressed Walz on evidence suggesting he and Ellison suppressed information about fraud rings within the Somali community because it represents a significant voting bloc in Minnesota. Officials reportedly dismissed concerns by labeling questioners as racist or xenophobic rather than investigating the allegations seriously.
Criminal Investigation Demands Answers
In his letter to Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, Vance called the allegations shocking and demanded answers to critical questions: Who within the governor and attorney general’s offices knew about the fraud? Did Walz lie in public statements claiming ignorance? Did his administration retaliate against whistleblowers? Were officials aware that fraudulently obtained funds may have been sent to foreign terrorist networks? Most importantly, do these actions constitute violations of federal criminal or civil law?
Vance emphasized that if state officials facilitated fraud, looked away while theft occurred, prevented officials from stopping it, or intimidated whistleblowers, they must face prosecution. The criminal referral marks a significant escalation in federal scrutiny of how Minnesota officials handled billions in taxpayer funds during the pandemic and beyond.