UMVA has learned that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison erupted in a heated exchange with a reporter when pressed about the soaring investigations into a massive welfare fraud ring.
Ellison snapped, “Why don’t you give me a break, man? You know what I mean?” and accused the alleged fraud figures of being driven by “people of a very unique political persuasion aligned with the Trump administration,” before storming off, declaring he was “done talking about it.”
When asked about Vice President JD Vance’s referral of both Governor Tim Walz and Ellison to the Justice Department’s anti‑fraud division, Ellison shrugged, “He can do whatever he wants,” and offered no further comment.
Estimates suggest that roughly half of the $18 billion in federal Medicaid and Medicare funds flowing to Minnesota—about $8‑9 billion—may be tied to fraudulent programs. Ellison vehemently rejected the number as “false,” insisting it was a political weapon wielded by the right.
“Fraud is always wrong,” he stammered, citing the state’s prosecution of 341 Medicaid fraud cases and claiming any forensic accounting would reveal the same partisan bias.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the House Oversight Committee released a damning report accusing Walz and Ellison of ignoring repeated warnings about widespread abuse in taxpayer‑funded programs, allowing billions to be siphoned off.
The report alleges that Somali immigrants were allegedly enabled to exploit welfare systems, while state leaders allegedly turned a blind eye, prompting Vance’s criminal referral to federal investigators.
Ellison’s defensive outburst, his dismissal of the $8 billion figure, and his refusal to engage further have ignited a firestorm, leaving Minnesotans and policymakers demanding answers.
