Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison recently faced a wave of online criticism after he took to social media to tout his office's efforts in combating scams.
This self-praise comes amid a significant fraud scandal that has cast a shadow over the state, with potential losses reaching up to $9 billion.
Ellison, a Democrat who has served as attorney general since 2019, posted on X, "Scammers thought Minnesotans were easy targets. They were wrong. From student loan scams to fake utility callers, we shut them down this year fast." However, as reported by Sean Hannity, this declaration was met with skepticism and backlash, as many pointed to the ongoing fraud scandal involving state agencies and welfare programs that has unfolded during his tenure.
The video Ellison shared, which highlighted actions against robocalls and online scams, was quickly inundated with responses questioning his oversight of more significant fraudulent activities. Critics, including prominent conservative figures, did not hold back in expressing their disapproval. GOP Senator Ted Cruz remarked, "Arsonist claims to be fire fighter."
Meanwhile, Michelle Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster considering a Senate run in Minnesota, simply questioned, "Seriously?"
Andy Ngo, senior editor at Post Millennial, criticized Ellison's oversight, asking, "How could your team make this video when it was under your nose that Somalis in your state stole up to $9 billion of taxpayer funds meant to help Americans in need?" Minnesota Republican Representative Tom Emmer also weighed in, stating, "Spare us your feign outrage, Keith. Youve done nothing but enable and exacerbate fraud in Minnesota. This all happened on your watch. Welcome to the party."
Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab, who was involved in the Feeding Our Future fraud case, added, "Scammers were right. Minnesota was an easy target. Thats why they stole literally BILLIONS of dollars from us." Dustin Grage, a columnist for Townhall, highlighted the ease of defrauding the state, noting, "They literally created a new term called fraud tourism to describe how easy it was to defraud Minnesota taxpayers."
Steve Guest, a conservative communicator, pointed out the gravity of the situation, stating, "Minnesota was an easy target. Per CBS News, $9 BILLION worth of Medicaid fraud happened right under your nose. And the largest funder of Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia is the Minnesota taxpayer."
The backlash underscores the frustration and concern among many regarding the state's handling of fraud, raising questions about accountability and oversight in Minnesota's government.
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