Minnesota’s top law enforcement officer abruptly walked out of an interview when a reporter pushed him on the taxpayer fraud unfolding in his state.
Attorney General Keith Ellison ended the exchange and stepped away from the camera after the questioning turned to the scandal, telling the reporter “So, I’m done talking to you. Bye-bye,” according to video from Fox News Digital.
Ellison rejected the dollar figure that has circulated in coverage of the case, calling it “a false number” and tying it to political opponents. “If you ask the newspapers for a forensic accounting, the number you mentioned is tightly identified with people of a very unique political persuasion aligned with the Trump administration,” he told Fox News Digital. (RELATED: Keith Ellison Praises Gasoline After Suing Energy Companies)
The reporter said he was citing several reports and wanted Ellison to clarify the actual amount. Ellison instead questioned the journalist’s credibility. “It’s wrong though. And if you’re a real reporter, you should know that,” he said, pointing at the Fox News Digital reporter.
“I’m done talking to you.”
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison storms off during an interview after facing questions about his handling of the state’s fraud scandal.
Ellison pushed back when asked about allegations tied to billions in taxpayer fraud and VP Vance’s threat to refer him to… pic.twitter.com/CKwSc9puHA
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 20, 2026
The confrontation followed Vice President JD Vance’s decision earlier this month to refer Ellison and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to the Justice Department for a criminal fraud investigation, according to The Hill. The referral grew out of a House Oversight Committee report.
That report estimated nearly $300 million in federal child nutrition money and potentially $9 billion in Medicaid-related funds were lost or placed at serious risk, The Hill reported. Investigators have said roughly half of the $18 billion paid through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 may have been fraudulent.
One of the most prominent cases, the Feeding Our Future scheme, drained about $250 million meant to feed children, according to Townhall. The operation ran more than 250 sites and falsely reported serving 125 million meals before its ringleader received a 500-month prison sentence in May.
Ellison has dismissed the referral as a “political stunt from an administration that uses the machinery of government to target its perceived opponents while extending leniency to those aligned with its interests,” he said in a statement reported by The Hill.