VP Vance talks rooting out fraud in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE — Vice president JD Vance returned to the Badger State on Wednesday to discuss efforts to eliminate waste and fraud in government programs.

Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, said fraud is a significant problem in Wisconsin.

“Just this year in the state of Wisconsin, multiple cases,” Steil said. “Here in Milwaukee County, individuals that have defrauded millions of dollars.”

Earlier this year, President Trump appointed Vice President JD Vance to lead an anti-fraud task force.

Vance spoke in Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon about how the task force is working to ensure programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are benefiting the people they’re supposed to.

“If you are administering a program collecting billions of dollars and you don’t check whether the people you’re giving that money to are actually entitled to it, that is a complete scam,” Vance said.

State Democrats agree that programs like SNAP are crucial, but say the biggest issue with the program is the lack of support from the Trump administration.

“In Milwaukee County alone, over 234,000 people depend on SNAP benefits,” said State Sen. Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee. “Over 15,000 fewer Wisconsinites are receiving SNAP benefits compared to last July.”

State Rep. Kalan Haywood, D-Milwaukee, is calling on leaders in Washington, D.C., to address the cost-of-living crisis he says is affecting Wisconsinites across the state.

“They need someone to explain why life has become more expensive, why healthcare costs keep rising, why filling up the gas tank costs more,” Haywood said.

Vance said eliminating fraud will go a long way toward making life more affordable.

He said gaining access to SNAP data in Wisconsin will help those efforts, but criticized Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, for refusing to hand the data over.

“I think the only plausible explanation for that is that he cares more about protecting illegal aliens than he does the good citizens of Wisconsin,” Vance said.

An Evers spokesperson referred Spectrum News to a social media post, saying in part:

“All of state government is already audited by the Legislative Audit Bureau, which is overseen by the Republican-controlled Legislature.”

Vance’s visit also came one day after Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson sent a letter inviting him to speak with election officials amid reports of FBI agents looking into the 2020 election results in the city.

The vice president said Wednesday he had received the letter and invited Johnson to meet with him in Washington, D.C.

Johnson responded with the following statement:

“The Vice President and his political accomplices continue to raise false claims regarding election integrity. Rather than addressing the real questions, the Vice President digresses into stories about his child.

“So, I’ll ask again, what evidence is there of voter fraud in Milwaukee? Without any rational basis, why are FBI agents knocking on doors, intimidating current and former election officials? With no credible evidence of voter fraud, why is President Trump’s Administration undermining America’s faith in elections?

“These are questions that deserve answers, not glib brush-offs.

“I will be in Washington, D.C., the week of Sept. 21, and I look forward to engaging with the vice president then.”