JD Vance accused of ‘political stunt’ after referring Tim Walz for Minnesota fraud investigation

JD Vance said he referred a House report to the justice department’s fraud division for criminal investigation. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images View image in fullscreen JD Vance said he referred a House report to the justice department’s fraud division for criminal investigation. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images JD Vance accused of ‘political stunt’ after referring Tim Walz for Minnesota fraud investigation House report alleged governor and state attorney general knew of ‘widespread taxpayer fraud’ in social programs US politics live – latest updates 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”. Minnesota Republicans rebuked for Derek Chauvin moment of silence Read more It also claimed that state leaders retaliated against state employees who brought fraud concerns forward, “allowing criminal schemes to flourish and diverting critical resources from vulnerable Americans”. Vance said on X that he referred the House report to the justice department’s 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,” he wrote. In a statement, Ellison said the report’s allegations were “unfounded”, and that Vance’s referral was a “political stunt from an administration that uses the machinery of government to target its perceived opponents while extending leniency to those aligned with its interests”. It contains no evidence to show that he or his office ignored or failed to act on fraud claims, he said. “The people of Minnesota know the difference between accountability and political theater. They have seen the consequences of these policies first-hand,” Ellison said. “A partisan report and a social media post from the vice-president do not change the record – and they do not change our commitment to uphold the law, protect the public, and pursue justice without fear or favor.” Walz’s office pointed to his March congressional testimony , in which he called the government’s attacks on Minnesota “political retribution” and detailed the action his administration had taken on fraud. “This committee has proven time and time again to be nothing more than a joke,” Teddy Tschann, a