Comer Calls for Sweeping Investigation into State Social Services Programs After Minnesota’s Fraud Debacle

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is urging the Trump administration to launch a sweeping review of taxpayer-funded social service programs to identify potential fraud schemes resembling those in Minnesota.

Comer is asking the Government Accountability Office to conduct a systemic review of federally-funded, state-administered benefits programs in order to root out fraud and assess the capabilities of fraud prevention efforts, National Review has learned.

“I write to you today to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate indicators of fraud, current fraud prevention efforts, and make relevant recommendations to executive branch agencies and to Congress for programmatic specific legislative reforms in federally funded, state-administered programs,” Comer said in a letter to GAO Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown.

Comer listed some federally-funded programs for the GAO to review and areas for their investigation to focus on, including multiple well-known food programs, unemployment insurance, housing vouchers, and Medicaid.

He also recommended the GAO document management and administrative practices to find vulnerabilities in order to strengthen fraud detection. Additionally, Comer said the GAO should examine the possible benefits of enhanced agency cooperation, potential issues with the judicial process, and whether program design is focused on compliance rather than verification.

“It is critical that Federal programs identify issues before they arise, therefore a close review of programs across states would benefit the Committee’s further nation-wide oversight and legislative reform work,” Comer wrote.

Comer is requesting regular progress updates from the GAO and periodic staff briefings. The GAO is the premier federal watchdog and its mandate is to deliver non-partisan information to Congress about how government programs are operating.

The Oversight Committee’s investigation into fraud across several Minnesota social programs found that state officials were aware of concerns years before taking action on what has become a multi-billion dollar debacle. Billions of taxpayer dollars were stolen from social services programs meant to provide food, childcare, special education, and housing to Minnesota’s poor and working class. Dozens of defendants have been prosecuted federally for the interconnected fraud schemes; 85 percent of them are Somali-American.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, opted not to run for reelection in part because of the bombshell fraud scandal that his administration failed to address before billions of dollars were misused. The Oversight Committee’s investigation into the fraudulent activities tied to Minnesota social services programs is still ongoing.

Separately, Comer has taken action to investigate fraud in New York’s Medicaid funding related to alleged misrepresentation of the state’s spending. Comer’s investigative activities all encompass the Oversight Committee’s broader focus on government-wide fraud and inefficient allocation of taxpayer dollars.