JD Vance Accuses of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz of Ignoring $9 Billion in Taxpayer Fraud

Vice President JD Vance is turning up the heat on two of Minnesota’s top Democrats.

Vance, 41, announced on Monday, June 8, that he is referring Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison — both Democrats — to the Justice Department for a criminal fraud investigation tied to the state’s federally funded social services programs, according to NBC News.

“Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and intimated whistleblowers, they must face justice,” the Republican politician wrote in a Monday, June 8, post on X.

The referral was prompted by a letter and report from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which published its findings the same day. The committee’s report alleged that Walz, 62, and Ellison, 62, were “aware of widespread taxpayer fraud in federally funded social programs for years” and did not act to stop it.

According to the report, “these and other failures by officials in the state ‘allowed an estimated $300 million in federal child nutrition funds and potentially $9 billion in Medicaid-related funds to be lost or placed at serious risk,'” Vance alleges in his letter.

Both Walz and Ellison pushed back. Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Walz, pointed to the governor’s March testimony before the Oversight Committee, adding, “This committee has proven time and time again to be nothing more than a joke,” per the NBC News report. Ellison called the allegations “unfounded” and a “political stunt.”

“It is deeply troubling to see official powers and public resources diverted away from serving the people and instead aimed at pursuing political adversaries,” Ellison said in a statement to the outlet.

The referral is not the first time the Justice Department under President Donald Trump has set its sights on Walz, who was former Vice President Kamala Harris‘ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

The Justice Department launched a separate probe into Walz and Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in January, alleging they conspired to impede federal immigration enforcement through public statements.

According to the report, the investigation came after a surge of immigration officers into Minneapolis that sparked protests and was followed by the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during encounters with federal officers. Walz has called the investigation politically motivated.