UMVA has learned that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison erupted in anger when pressed about his role in a sprawling fraud scandal that may have siphoned billions from state aid programs.
Ellison dismissed the frequently quoted $8 billion estimate as a partisan myth, snarling, “Why don’t you give me a break, man?” His frustration boiled over as he accused reporters of echoing a narrative pushed by a specific political faction.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Vice President JD Vance, leading the administration’s new anti‑fraud task force, warned he would urge the Justice Department to launch a full‑scale probe into Ellison’s alleged knowledge of the scheme.
The attorney general’s temper flared when a journalist pressed him for clarification on the $8 billion figure, a number repeatedly cited in congressional hearings and by federal prosecutors.
Ellison snapped, “If you ask the newspapers for a forensic accounting, the number you mentioned is tightly identified with people of a very unique political persuasion,” then walked away, ending the interview abruptly.
He continued to challenge the reporter’s credibility, insisting that any genuine journalist would recognize the bias behind the estimate.
Investigators have long suspected that roughly half of the $18 billion disbursed through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 could be tied to fraudulent activity, according to federal officials.
The scandal has roiled national attention, linking numerous nonprofit groups to the diversion of millions in taxpayer funds, especially in programs for nutrition, education, and Medicaid that surged during the pandemic.
High‑profile cases, such as the “Feeding Our Future” scheme, have been traced to networks within Minnesota’s Somali community, amplifying the controversy.
House investigators claim Ellison was warned about the fraud years before it erupted, citing interviews with officials across education, human services, and the executive office.
