Vice President JD Vance announced Monday that allegations involving Tim Walz and Keith Ellison have been referred to the Department of Justice for a potential criminal investigation related to alleged fraud involving federally funded social services programs in Minnesota, as reported by Fox News.

Vance made the announcement during an appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” where he discussed findings outlined in a recent report from the House Oversight Committee.

According to the report, state officials were allegedly warned about fraudulent activity but failed to take sufficient action to stop it.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

The report further alleges that concerns about litigation and accusations of discrimination contributed to hesitation among officials tasked with addressing the matter.

During the interview, Vance said the administration had already taken action before he appeared on the program.

“We're certainly going to investigate this, Jesse, and I guess now I can make a bit of breaking news because I left the White House to come here to do this interview with you. And before I did, we actually referred this particular case to the Department of Justice for a full criminal investigation. We are not going to do what the Biden administration did and make judgments of the law before all the facts are in,” Vance said.

The vice president said allegations contained in the report raised concerns about how warnings from employees and whistleblowers were handled inside the Walz administration.

FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest

“But here's what's particularly troubling about this to me is, Jesse, you had people within Governor Walz's office who were saying, you know what? This looks like fraud. It looks like these Somalian illegal immigrants are doing something that's very shady, and then you had people who shut them down, who shut these whistleblowers down and said, you know, you're a racist, or you're a xenophobe for asking questions about where taxpayer money is going,” he continued.

Vance argued that such allegations, if proven true, would indicate that concerns about fraud were not treated with sufficient urgency by state officials.

“What that means to me, Jesse, is that clearly people weren't taking fraud seriously. Whether it rises to the level of a criminal violation, we're gonna investigate it, and of course, if it does rise to that level, we're going to prosecute it. We have to,” Vance added.

The vice president currently leads the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a role he assumed in February after President Donald Trump announced a government-wide effort targeting fraud and waste during his address to Congress.

Following his television appearance, Vance reiterated his position in a post on X, stating that state officials would be held accountable if evidence supports the allegations.

“Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and intimidated whistleblowers, they must face justice,” Vance wrote.

I’ve referred these allegations to DOJ’s new Fraud Division for criminal investigation. 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. https://t.co/EatSBh9Gh6 pic.twitter.com/7JeFcgkTV0

— JD Vance (@JDVance) June 9, 2026

The allegations have intensified scrutiny of Minnesota’s handling of federally funded programs. Previous reports have raised questions about oversight and the use of taxpayer funds within certain state-administered initiatives.

The dispute between federal and state officials has also extended beyond the House Oversight Committee report.

Earlier this year, Vance and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz announced a pause on certain federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota while federal authorities reviewed concerns related to program administration.

Walz rejected the move and argued that it was politically motivated rather than tied to fraud concerns.

“Trump is weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota,” Walz said on Feb. 25.

Walz also maintained at the time that the reimbursement pause had “nothing to do with fraud” and characterized the federal action as a “campaign of retribution.”

The Department of Justice has not yet announced whether formal charges or additional investigative steps will result from the referral. The allegations remain under review as federal authorities determine whether any criminal violations occurred.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Objectivist. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.