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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison lashed out when asked about his handling of the Minnesota fraud scandal following Vice President JD Vance’s threat to refer it to the Justice Department, while dismissing a widely cited figure of $8 billion as only mentioned by those “aligned with the Trump Administration.”
“That’s a fake number,” Ellison said. “The fact is that fraud is always bad.”
“Why don’t you give me a break, man?” continuous.
The comments come as Vance, the head of the Trump administration’s new anti-fraud task force, threatened to pressure the Justice Department to open an investigation into Ellison’s alleged knowledge of the widespread fraud scheme in Minnesota.
VANCE REFERS MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TIM WALZ TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED STATE FRAUD
Vice President JD Vance listens during a press briefing in the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on June 18, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martín/AP)
When asked about the common estimate of fraud in Minnesota that soars to around $8 billion, Ellison became visibly frustrated with the reporter and ended the interview, stating that the number is only used by those who have a certain political affiliation.
“YO“If you ask newspapers for a forensic accounting, the number you mentioned are closely identified with people of a unique political persuasion aligned with the Trump administration,” Ellison told Fox News Digital.
“So, I’m done talking to you. Bye,” he said as he began to walk away.
MAGNITUDE ‘CAN’T BE OVERESTIMATED’: FEDS SAY FRAUD IN MINNESOTA MAY BE MORE THAN $9 BILLION
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks and raises his hand during a Senate National Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. (Tom Brenner/AP Photo)
When the journalist stated that he wanted Ellison to clarify the figure and cited a variety of reports, Ellison continued to question the alleged biases in his reporting.
“It’s wrong though. And if you’re a real reporter, you should know that,” he said, pointing to the Fox News Digital reporter.
The estimate has been widely cited by both the House Oversight Committee and First Deputy U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who have argued that potentially billions of dollars were lost to fraud in Minnesota’s public assistance programs.
DEM-APPOINTED EDUCATION OFFICIALS FACE NEW SCRUTINY AS FEED OUR FUTURE SCANDAL WIDENESS, TRUMP FOCUS ON FRAUD
U.S. Attorney 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 about half of the $18 billion paid through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 could have been part of a major fraud scheme.
The scandal attracted national attention through congressional investigations and a series of high-profile fraud cases involving federally funded nutrition, education and Medicaid programs. Prosecutors have alleged that multiple nonprofit organizations siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars through fraudulent schemes, many of which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Several of the most high-profile cases, including the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, were linked to Minnesota’s Somali community.
House Oversight Committee investigators have also argued that Ellison was aware of concerns about fraud years before the scandal came to light, citing interviews with education, human services and executive office officials.