The US vice-president, JD Vance, asked the Department of Justice to investigate Tim Walz, his rival in the 2024 election, after a congressional report renewed allegations of inaction and retaliation over fraud schemes in Minnesota.
In the Trump administration’s latest broadside against the midwestern state and its political leaders, Vance referred Walz, its Democratic governor, and Keith Ellison, its Democratic attorney general, for investigation.
Ellison has filed dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration.
The Republican-controlled oversight committee in the US House of Representatives released a 205-page report on Monday alleging Walz and Ellison knew about “widespread taxpayer fraud” in social programs and “repeatedly failed to act”.
It also claimed that state leaders retaliated against state employees who brought fraud concerns forward, “allowing criminal schemes to…
This involves defrauding the state or using government systems to steal from individuals.
- Tax Identity Theft: A criminal uses your ID and income details to file a tax return in your name and claim a refund before you do.
- Grant/Benefit Fraud: Falsely claiming unemployment, disability, or social grants that the perpetrator is not entitled to.