U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Wednesday that the Department of Justice is sending more prosecutors to Minnesota as federal investigations continue into rampant fraud.
“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,” Bondi told Fox News. “We will deliver severe consequences in Minnesota and stand ready to deploy to any other state where similar fraud schemes are robbing American taxpayers.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota has charged more than 90 people across fraud schemes involving free meals for kids, autism services, and housing support. Federal prosecutors recently estimated that fraud since 2018 across 14 programs could be as much as $9 billion.
In an op-ed published Monday, Power Line contributor and attorney Scott Johnson explained how First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who is leading the fraud prosecutions, “is doing everything that can be done with a small team of five prosecutors.”
“Federal authorities are keenly aware of the problem, are pursuing cases, and are overwhelmed by the volume of fraud. They literally don’t have enough manpower to tackle it all. Concerned citizens should demand that prosecutors be added to the team working out of the office of the United States Attorney for Minnesota,” Johnson wrote.
The U.S. House Oversight Committee held the first of what is expected to be a series of hearings examining Minnesota’s fraud crisis on Wednesday.
After YouTuber Nick Shirley published a viral video investigating fraud in the state, Bondi responded by noting that “the Justice Department has been investigating this for months. So far, we have charged 98 individuals – 85 of Somali descent – and more than 60 have been found guilty in court. We have more prosecutions coming…BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!”
