Minnesota AG Keith Ellison lashes out over $8 billion fraud questions
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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison lashed out when asked how he was handling the Minnesota fraud scandal after Vice President J.D. Vance threatened to refer him to the Justice Department, pushing back on a widely quoted $8 billion figure that was only mentioned by people “aligned with the Trump Administration.”
“This is a fake number,” Ellison said. “The truth is that fraud is always wrong.”
“Why don’t you give me a break, buddy?” he continued.
The comments came as Vance, head of the Trump administration’s new anti-fraud task force, threatened to pressure the Justice Department to launch an investigation into Ellison’s alleged knowledge of a widespread fraud scheme in Minnesota.
VANCE REFERRED Minnesota Attorney General TIM WALZ TO THE DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED STATE FORGERY
Vice President J.D. Vance listens during a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on June 18, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
When asked about the common estimate that Minnesota fraud had risen to nearly $8 billion, Ellison became visibly annoyed with the reporter and ended the interview by claiming that that number was only used by those with a particular political view.
“I“If you request forensic accounting from newspapers, you will find that the number you are talking about is closely identified with people who have a very specific political view that aligns with the Trump administration,” Ellison told Fox News Digital.
“So I’m done talking to you. Goodbye,” he said as he started to walk away.
SIZE ‘Cannot be understated’: FED SAYS FRAUDS IN MINNESOTA COULD BE MORE THAN $9 BILLION
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks and raises his hand during a Senate Homeland Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. (Tom Brenner/AP Photo)
When the reporter noted that he wanted Ellison to clarify the figure and cited various reports, Ellison continued to question the biases suggested in his reporting.
“But this is wrong. And if you’re a real reporter, you should know that,” he said, pointing to a Fox News Digital reporter.
The estimate was widely cited by the House Oversight Committee and First Assistant U.S. Attorney General Joe Thompson, who argued that potentially billions of dollars in Minnesota’s public assistance programs were lost to fraud.
DEM APPOINTED EDUCATION OFFICIALS FACE NEW SCREENING AS FEEDING OUR FUTURE SCANDAL, TRUMP TARGETS FRAUD
Federal prosecutor Joe Thompson spoke to reporters about the $250 million Feeding Our Future food fraud case involving the state’s Somali community. (AP Newsroom)
Thompson said investigators have reason to believe that roughly half of the $18 billion paid out through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 may have been part of a massive fraud scheme.
The scandal gained national attention through congressional investigations and a series of high-profile fraud cases involving federally funded nutrition, education and Medicaid-related programs. Prosecutors alleged that multiple nonprofits diverted millions of taxpayer dollars through fraudulent schemes, many of which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Many of the most prominent cases, including the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, were linked to the Somali community in Minnesota.
House Oversight Committee investigators also argued that Ellison was aware of fraud concerns years before the scandal emerged, citing interviews with education, human services and executive office officials.
