On Friday, Jan. 9, State Sen. Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) joined Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Scott Bessent for a roundtable to address Minnesota’s ongoing fraud crisis. 

“I'm grateful to Secretary Bessent and the Trump administration for taking strong action to protect Minnesota taxpayers,” said Rasmusson. “During the discussion I shared how the Walz administration had enabled the fraud. In addition, I requested continued support from the Trump administration to stop the fraud and hold those responsible to account.”

At the event, several Minnesota service providers, including Jennifer Larson from the Holland Center, shared their experiences and highlighted the struggles they face due to fraud. Secretary Bessent also announced several initiatives aimed at combating rampant taxpayer dollar fraud in state and federal programs.

According to a Treasury press release, Secretary Bessent said, “President Trump has instructed the administration to bring accountability for the hardworking people of Minnesota. Under Democratic Governor Tim Walz, welfare fraud has spiraled out of control. Billions of dollars intended for feeding hungry children, housing disabled seniors, and providing services for children in need were diverted to benefit Somali fraud rings.”

Secretary Bessent and the U.S. Treasury are cracking down on Minnesota fraud by investigating businesses and banks, and by forming a dedicated fraud task force. Additional measures include improving reporting on international transfers, alerting banks to child nutrition fraud, and training law enforcement to follow the money.