{"id":2646115,"date":"2026-08-17T15:13:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T19:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-expands-fraud-offices-reach-amid-vance-pressure-to-investigate-walz\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T15:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T19:16:14","slug":"doj-expands-fraud-offices-reach-amid-vance-pressure-to-investigate-walz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-expands-fraud-offices-reach-amid-vance-pressure-to-investigate-walz\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ expands fraud office&#8217;s reach amid Vance pressure to investigate Walz"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-expands-fraud-offices-reach-amid-vance-pressure-to-investigate-walz%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2646115&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Justice Department is expanding the authority of its Fraud Enforcement Division to prosecute any federal offenses discovered during investigations that originate with suspected fraud. This formalized rule, scheduled for publication, grants the division jurisdiction over criminal fraud, tax crimes, customs, healthcare fraud, and matters involving federal funds. Notably, the division may also pursue unrelated criminal charges uncovered during investigations. This move follows calls from Vice President JD Vance for the department to examine alleged fraud in Minnesota&#8217;s social services programs, leading to scrutiny of Governor Tim Walz and attorney General Keith Ellison. Both officials have denied wrongdoing, with Ellison calling the inquiry politically motivated. The new regulation provides the division with added adaptability, including authority to initiate grand jury proceedings if warranted, and takes effect on August 24. The rule does not accuse any officials of misconduct but allows for potential investigations into federally funded activities if evidence arises.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> is expanding the reach of its new <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4438431\/trump-nominee-doj-fraud-enforcement-division\/\">fraud division<\/a>, allowing the office to prosecute any federal offenses uncovered during investigations that begin with suspected <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fraud\/\">fraud<\/a>, according to a final rule scheduled for publication Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/1075148870\/Establishing-the-National-Fraud-Enforcement-Division\">10-page final rule<\/a> formalizes powers held by Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, the leader of the National Fraud Enforcement Division under the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a>. It gives his office jurisdiction over criminal fraud, tax crimes, customs and tariff matters, healthcare fraud, and proceedings involving money owed to or paid by the federal government.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4689871\/doj-expands-fraud-office-prosecutorial-reach\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Justice Department expands fraud office\u2019s prosecutorial reach<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4688972\/blanche-pirro-reflecting-pool-vandalism-case\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Blanche defends Pirro, says it\u2019s \u2018not fair\u2019 to judge US attorney on \u2018single case\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4688951\/todd-blanche-consider-trump-opinion-prosecutions\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Blanche says \u2018of course\u2019 he\u2019ll consider Trump\u2019s opinion on reviving prosecutions<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26146681072237.webp?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald speaks on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notably, the rule states that the division may also prosecute any criminal offenses identified during those investigations, regardless of whether the resulting charges fall within its principal areas of responsibility, according to the department\u2019s paper.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The expansion comes after Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\">JD Vance<\/a>, who chairs the White House\u2019s anti-fraud task force, pressed the Justice Department in June to investigate Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\">Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN) and Minnesota Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/keith-ellison\/\">Keith Ellison<\/a> over their handling of alleged fraud in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/five-takeaways-from-minnesota-fraud-with-governor-tim-walz\/\" title=\"Five takeaways from Minnesota ... with ...\">federally funded social services programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vance\u2019s referral followed a Republican-led <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-oversight-committee\/\">House Oversight and Government Reform Committee<\/a> report alleging Walz and Ellison knew about widespread fraud and failed to stop it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN),left, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, right, talk before appearing before a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on oversight of fraud and misuse of federal funds in Minnesota on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo\/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26063515918629.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), left, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, right, talk before appearing before a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on oversight of fraud and misuse of federal funds in Minnesota on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo\/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walz ended his campaign <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4439826\/tim-walz-says-he-will-never-run-for-any-office-again\/\">for a third term<\/a> in January after succumbing to scrutiny about systemic fraud uncovered in his state\u2019s social services program. The two Democrats have defended their records, and Ellison has called the referral politically motivated.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rule further states that the authority provides the division with \u201cnecessary flexibility\u201d to oversee additional cases assigned by Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\">Todd Blanche<\/a>, the deputy attorney general, or another assistant attorney general.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McDonald, who was nominated by Trump to lead the division in January, also gains authority to certify that criminal activity warrants summoning a special grand jury in any federal judicial district.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4685312\/gop-minnesota-fraud-attacks-peggy-flanagan-tim-walz-senate\/\">GOP SHARPENS MINNESOTA FRAUD ATTACKS AFTER TIM WALZ DEPUTY WINS SENATE NOMINATION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rule, reported by <em>Bloomberg<\/em>, was uploaded to the <em>Federal Register<\/em> on Monday and is expected to go live on Tuesday. It takes effect Aug. 24.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The regulation neither directs an investigation of the Minnesota officials nor alleges wrongdoing. However, an inquiry involving federally supported benefits could begin within McDonald\u2019s jurisdiction and expand if prosecutors uncovered evidence of other potential crimes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Justice Dept. broadens fraud division&#8217;s prosecutorial powers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2646116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26025704400281.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7076,6909,3976,4901,27318],"class_list":["post-2646115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-doj","tag-fraud","tag-investigation","tag-justice","tag-walz"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26025704400281.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2646115"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2646119,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646115\/revisions\/2646119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2646116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2646115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2646115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2646115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}