Vice President JD Vance vowed to combat the massive theft of American taxpayer dollars during the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force.
Vance said fraudsters have stolen critical services that the American people rely on, claiming that longtime anti-fraud protections were “turned off” by the previous administration.
Vance was tasked by President Donald Trump to oversee the panel, while Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson was tapped to serve as vice chair. The task force also includes about half the president’s Cabinet.
"Our work on this task force will be to develop a comprehensive national strategy to combat the corruption of our federal benefits programs and to assist the Justice Department in prosecuting those who have corrupted them," Ferguson said.
Colin McDonald, a top aide to the Justice Department’s second in command and the leader of a new Justice Department division focused on prosecuting fraud, also joined Thursday’s meeting.
Trump’s focus on fraud comes after allegations of fraud involving day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis.
Former Democrat vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had argued the state had taken steps to combat fraud, claiming the Trump administration has launched a “campaign of retribution” to weaponize the federal government to punish blue states.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller emphasized that fraud is "pervasive and widespread,” saying most citizens assume that a verification process happens for anyone to receive federal benefits.
Miller used the example of Somali refugees in Minnesota, who he said can lie about the number of children they have, or lie about their immigration or marriage status in order to receive federal benefits.
“Imagine in the Twin Cities, a native Minnesotan who works as a lineman or as a construction worker ... who's worried about his ability to support his family,” Miller said. “And then imagine he has a neighbor who’s a Somali refugee who arrived two years ago, and has a Mercedes, and no financial stress, and no worries at all in the entire world, and never seems to ever go to work because he just went to an office in the state, lied on a piece of paper, and got unlimited free money forever for life. That is the system that is being run,” Miller said.
The Justice Department has long prosecuted fraud through its Criminal Division, but the Trump administration said the new division is necessary to crack down on widespread fraud.