WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance announced Thursday that the Justice Department is creating a new assistant attorney general role to focus on fraud following an outcry over phony Minnesota daycares.
“We are creating a new assistant attorney general position who will have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud,” Vance said at a White House press briefing.
“Now, of course, that person’s efforts will start and focus primarily in Minnesota, but it is going to be a nationwide effort.”
Vance said that the position would answer directly to himself and President Trump — rather than the traditional Justice Department hierarchy.
“It will be run out of the White House under the supervision of me and the president of the United States,” Vance said.
The veep added that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) “has promised me swift confirmation for this official” when they are nominated.
A number of questions remained unanswered — as journalists focused most of their questions on a different Minnesota story involving a federal agent fatally shooting an anti-deportation activist on Wednesday.
It was unclear when exactly the nominee would be named, or if the president had interviewed contenders.
Vance did not spell out what particular type of fraud would be targeted — though in Minnesota significant focus has been on Somali-Americans fraudulently claiming federal benefits for care of children with developmental disabilities.
The Trump administration this week froze $10 billion in social services and child care funding to five Democrat-led states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York — citing concerns about anti-fraud safeguards and benefits possibly going to illegal immigrants.
The programs impacted by that shutoff include the Child Care Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Social Services Block Grant program.
The administration asked the states to provide lists of funding recipients between 2019 and 2025.
