JD Vance: The Trump administration is establishing a new assistant attorney general post with statewide power to coordinate fraud investigations, according to US Vice President JD Vance, who said that the initiative would start in Minnesota but spread across the nation.

Vance told reporters at the White House on Thursday, “We are creating a new assistant attorney general position who will have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud.” “It will be a national effort, but naturally, that person’s efforts will begin and concentrate primarily in Minnesota.”

According to Vance, the government is already investigating what he called widespread fraud connected to social assistance and public welfare programs that is centered on Minneapolis. He said, “To make it possible to get to the heart of this fraud, we have actually activated a major interagency task force.”

Vance said that the Department of Agriculture is concentrating on “SNAP fraud” and mentioned existing measures, saying, “The Department of Justice has issued over 1,500 subpoenas to get to the heart of the fraud ring.” “We have nearly 100 indictments, primarily of Somali immigrants but also a few others,” he said.

According to Vance, the administration believes that the issue goes well beyond Minnesota. “We are aware that the fraud is not limited to Minneapolis,” he said. Additionally, places like Ohio are experiencing it. States like California are experiencing it.

He gave Attorney General Pam Bondi credit for launching the plan so swiftly. According to Vance, “creating a job like this often takes months, sometimes even longer.” “Pam got this person up and running in about a week after we realized we needed this associate attorney general position.”

According to Vance, the White House plans to make hiring decisions quickly. He said that he had talked with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who “has promised me swift confirmation for this official,” and that “we’re going to make the nomination hopefully in the next few days.”

Vance described the position as a practical replacement for a special counsel, but under the president’s and vice president’s supervision.

Many individuals have told me that in order to look into fraud in the US, we need a special council. In fact, I concur, and this stance does that,” he said.

He said that it is “constitutionally legitimate” and that it “has all the benefits, all the resources, and all the authority of a special counsel,” with the exception that it would be “run out of the White House under the supervision of the president of the United States.”

His goal is to “give them the resources, the access to material and information to make this person more effective.” He described the new official’s role as part of “a very broad interagency White House” effort.

“I think it’s going to last for at least the remainder of the administration,” Vance said, adding that the position will continue “until we get to the bottom of what’s going on.”

Assistant attorneys general in the Justice Department oversee important departments and may be given specialized responsibilities related to national enforcement goals.