In a blunt warning to fraudsters and a long-overdue show of backbone for taxpayers, Trump Administration Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dropped a political bombshell Friday night on Fox News: whistleblowers who expose the massive welfare fraud scandals plaguing Minnesota will be paid cash to help bring the criminals down.
Appearing on *The Ingraham Angle*, Bessent made it clear the era of looking the other way is over. After years of lax oversight, ideological blindness, and progressive politicians prioritizing optics over accountability, the federal government is finally stepping in to protect American taxpayers.
Minnesota has become a national embarrassment after investigators uncovered sprawling fraud schemes tied to taxpayer-funded welfare programs, including the infamous “Feeding Our Future” scandal and a daycare subsidy program that was similarly looted. Tens of millions of dollars meant to feed needy children were allegedly siphoned off through fake meal sites, shell companies, and falsified records—while state officials failed to act on repeated warnings.
Governor Tim Walz’s administration has come under intense scrutiny for allowing these schemes to fester. Now, the Trump Administration is responding with what critics on the Left are calling “aggressive”—and what most Americans would call common sense.
Federal funding through agencies like HHS and USDA has been halted or reexamined. Thousands of federal agents have reportedly been deployed to investigate businesses and nonprofits suspected of laundering taxpayer money. And now, the Treasury Department is adding a powerful new weapon: incentivized whistleblowers.
“We know that these rats will turn on each other,” Bessent told host Laura Ingraham, predicting that panic will set in among those involved as the net tightens. His assessment reflects a reality prosecutors know well—when serious prison time looms, loyalty evaporates.
To speed that process along, Bessent announced that the Treasury Department will reward those willing to come forward with details. “We are going to offer whistleblower payments to anyone who wants to tell us the who, what, when, where, and how this fraud has been done,” he said. The goal, he explained, is to fast-track investigations and recover stolen funds.
The corruption uncovered so far is staggering. Bessent recounted one jaw-dropping example involving a convicted fraudster who was given $200,000 to bribe a juror—then skimmed $80,000 for herself and only attempted a $120,000 bribe. “That’s how deep the rot goes,” one federal official reportedly said off-camera.
Bessent has vowed the Treasury Department will not let this scandal fade quietly into the background, as so many others have under Democratic leadership. “Treasury will deploy all tools to bring an end to this egregious unchecked fraud and hold perpetrators to account,” he told reporters.
A day earlier, he reinforced the message: “We are committed to recovering stolen funds, prosecuting fraudulent criminals, preventing scandals like this from ever happening again, and investigating similar schemes state by state.”
For hardworking Americans watching their grocery bills rise and their taxes climb, this crackdown is a welcome sign that someone in Washington still remembers who the government is supposed to serve.
