Vance Refers Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota's Attorney General to the Justice Department for Criminal Investigation

On June 8, 2026, Vice President JD Vance announced he was referring Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Justice Department for a criminal fraud investigation involving federally funded social services programs. Vance has led the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud since February 2026. The referral rested on a House Oversight Committee report asserting that Minnesota officials had been aware of widespread fraud in those programs for years and failed to stop it. The Justice Department has separately charged individuals over roughly $90 million in alleged Medicaid fraud in the state.

A sitting vice president publicly referring the governor and chief legal officer of an opposing party's state for prosecution applies White House political leadership directly to charging decisions conventionally insulated from it. It is the second federal investigation touching Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee.

Walz and Ellison's offices did not immediately comment, and their representatives dismissed the underlying report. No charges against either official had been reported.