President Donald Trump has placed Vice President JD Vance in charge of investigating what he described as “massive” fraud by Democratic politicians.
In a Truth Social post on April 3, Trump called the new role a “Fraud Czar” position, aimed primarily at so-called “blue states” such as California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine, and New York, where he claims taxpayer money has been misappropriated.
“We will call him (JD Vance) the “fraud Czar,” and his focus will be “everywhere,” but primarily in those Blue States where Democrat politicians, like those in California, Illinois, Minnesota (Somalia beware!), Maine, New York, and many others, have had a “free for all” in the unprecedented theft of Taxpayer Money,” read part of the post.
Trump said the scale of the alleged fraud is so large that, if successfully addressed, it could help balance the U.S. federal budget. Raids connected to the initiative have already begun in Los Angeles.
Trump Launches Investigations on ‘Mass Fraud’
The statement comes after Trump signed an executive order on March 16 creating a national task force to investigate alleged misuse of federal funds intended for social welfare programs.
The move followed after Trump’s repeated claims that some states have been defrauding taxpayer-funded programs.
Earlier, Trump had assigned Vance to probe alleged fraud in Minnesota, where a 2020 case involved 47 individuals accused of misappropriating $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program.
Trump singled out California and alleged that fraud is more prevalent in Democratic-led states than in Republican-led ones.
Also Read: Trump Targets Ilhan Omar as He Alleges Widespread Fraud in Minnesota’s Somali Community
Other states flagged in the White House fact sheet include Illinois, New York, Maine, and Colorado, described as having “insufficient” oversight against fraud.
“To combat the rampant and pervasive problem of fraud in the United States, the DOJ’s new division for national fraud enforcement will enforce the Federal criminal and civil laws against fraud targeting Federal government programs, Federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens nationwide,” read part of the fact sheet from White House
The executive order directs the task force to develop a comprehensive plan within 90 days to implement anti-fraud measures.
Also Read: Trump Suspends Medicaid Millions to Minnesota Over Fraud Probe
War on Minnesota
In January, Trump criticized the administration of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, over the alleged multi-billion-dollar theft and fraud in Minnesota.
He claimed that the scale of the problem far exceeds the earlier projected 19 billion Dollars and accused federal and state officials of failing to take adequate action.
Minnesota has faced growing concerns over theft, organized retail crime, and financial fraud
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has also been slammed, with critics arguing that he could have prevented the crimes.
On December 28, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the dismantling of a $250 million fraud scheme in Minnesota that targeted federal food aid meant for vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investigation exposed sham vendors, shell companies, and widespread money laundering linked to the Feeding Our Future network.
Since late 2025 and January 2026, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deployed thousands of agents to Minnesota. These raids, dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” specifically target the Somali community.
