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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison lashed out when asked about his handling of the fraud scandal in Minnesota following Vice President JD Vance’s threat to refer him to the Department of Justice, while dismissing a widely quoted figure of $8 billion as attributed only to those “aligned with the Trump Administration.”
“That’s a bogus number,” Ellison said. “The truth is, fraud is not always right.”
“Why don’t you give me a rest, man?” he continued.
The comments come as Vance, the head of the Trump administration’s new anti-fraud task force, has threatened to pressure the Justice Department to open an investigation into Ellison’s alleged knowledge of the widespread fraud scheme in Minnesota.
VANCE REFERRED TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO THE DOJ FOR A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE STATE KING.
Vice President JD Vance listens during a press conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on June 18, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
When asked about the general estimate of Minnesota’s $8 billion fraud balloon, Ellison grew visibly frustrated with the reporter and ended the interview, saying the number is only used by those who belong to a certain political party.
“Iif you ask the newspapers to give you a forensic accounting, the number you mentioned is strongly associated with very different political figures associated with the Trump administration,” Ellison told Fox News Digital.
“So, I’m done talking to you. Bye-bye,” he said as he started to leave.
MAMNITUDE ‘CAN’T DO MORE’: FEDS SAYS MINNESOTA CONSULTANCY COULD BE OVER $9B
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks and raises his hand during a Senate Homeland Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. (Photo by Tom Brenner/AP)
When the reporter stated that he wanted Ellison to delete the number and presented various reports, Ellison continued to doubt that there was any bias in his reporting.
“It’s wrong though. And if you’re a real journalist, 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 US Attorney Joe Thompson, who argued that nearly billions of dollars were lost to fraud in Minnesota’s welfare programs.
DEM-APPOINTED EDUCATION OFFICIALS FACE NEW BIGGERS AS FEEDING OUR FUTURE SCANDALS GROW, TRUMP IS CHEATING
State Attorney Joe Thompson spoke to reporters about the $250 million Feeding Our Future food fraud case involving the Somali community. (AP newsroom)
Thompson said investigators have reason to believe that nearly half of the $18 billion paid to 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 could have been part of a larger fraud scheme.
The scandal drew national attention through a congressional investigation and a series of high-profile fraud cases involving federally funded nutrition, education and Medicaid-related programs. Prosecutors alleged that several nonprofits diverted millions of taxpayer dollars through fraudulent schemes, many of which grew during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Several high-profile cases, including the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, have been linked to Minnesota’s Somali community.
House Oversight Committee investigators also said Ellison knew about the fraud years before the scandal broke, citing interviews with education, human resources and office officials.
