DOJ sending more prosecutors to MN for fraud investigations

Federal MN fraud hearings begin Wednesday: What to expect

A U.S. House committee will convene on Wednesday to discuss fraud in Minnesota under a series titled "Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part 1". Minnesota GOP lawmakers such as Reps. Kristin Robbins (Maple Grove), Walter Hudson (Albertville) and Marion Rarick (Maple Lake) are all expected to speak. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison are invited to testify at a hearing in February.

(FOX 9) - Attorney General Pam Bondi is sending a team of prosecutors to Minnesota to help reinforce the state's U.S. Attorney’s Office in its prosecution of Medicaid fraud cases, promising "severe consequences" for fraudsters.

DOJ sending more prosecutors

What we know:

FOX News Congressional correspondent Bill Melugin reports that the Department of Justice is bringing in more prosecutors to reinforce the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Minnesota.

The new prosecutors will help investigate and prosecute fraud cases in Minnesota as more schemes are uncovered in 14 vulnerable Medicaid programs. The U.S. Attorney's Office has been tasked with prosecuting the Medicaid fraud cases in the state, including the dozens of Feeding Our Future cases.

What they're saying:

In a statement to FOX News, Attorney General Pam Bondi says: "The Department of Justice is dispatching a team of prosecutors to Minnesota to reinforce our U.S. Attorney’s Office and put the perpetrators of this widespread fraud behind bars. We will deliver severe consequences in Minnesota and stand ready to deploy to any other state where similar fraud schemes are robbing American taxpayers."

‘Small team’ tackling MN fraud

The backstory:

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson talked about the difficulties of tackling the magnitude of Minnesota's fraud with the "small" team of prosecutors in Minnesota during a news conference last month.

"It's a relatively small U.S. Attorney's office," said Thompson, "and every day we look under a rock and find a new $50 million fraud scheme – that shouldn't be the case."

During that same news conference, Thompson also suggested the fraud against 14 Medicaid programs alone since 2018 could total, when all was said and done, more than $9 billion.

"We are working as hard as we can to address the fraud program, the only way that we're able to, which is charging defendants and seizing their assets," Thompson later added. "And so, I would expect to see additional charges in the coming weeks and months, as much as we can here with our team."

ICE operation underway in MN

Big picture view:

At the same time, ICE has launched its "largest ever" immigration operation in the state of Minnesota with a goal of rooting out fraud in the state.

According to reports, more than 2,000 ICE agents and Homeland Security investigators have descended on the state in recent days. Wednesday, a Congressional hearing will also be held on fraud in the state. Three Minnesota Republican lawmakers are scheduled to speak during the hearing.

Just this week, in part due to the heat from the fraud cases, Gov. Walz decided to end his bid for a third term as Minnesota governor.