Vance says new anti-fraud prosecutor will report to White House, not US Justice Department

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration will create a new assistant attorney-general position to lead fraud investigations, US Vice-President J.D. Vance said, as the White House looks to highlight instances of social services fraud in Democrat-run states.

The Senate-confirmed role will “have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud”, Mr Vance told reporters on Jan 8. But in a substantial break from tradition, President Donald Trump and Mr Vance – rather than the Justice Department – will supervise the official, said the Vice-President. The White House is expected to announce the nominee in the coming days, Mr Vance said.

“This is the person who is going to make sure that we stop defrauding the American people,” Mr Vance said at the White House.

The appointee is expected to remain in their role “for at least the remainder of the administration”, according to Mr Vance.

Traditionally, presidents have sought to keep their distance from the Justice Department to avoid the perception of political interference in law enforcement investigations. Mr Trump has done away with that practice, exercising tight control over the department and directing it to prosecute his enemies. 

The Vice-President spoke amid a brewing controversy over a deadly confrontation in Minneapolis, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

officer shot and killed a female driver

in an incident captured on video and widely circulated on social media. 

The ICE officer was in Minnesota as part of a large-scale operation ordered by the Trump administration after a series of cases in which Somali immigrants are accused of cheating federal social service programmes.

Mr Trump and his allies have sought to highlight the fraud cases to argue that Democrats have mismanaged immigration policy and federal funds.

While Mr Vance and Mr Trump have cast the shooting as self-defence, video of the incident does not clearly back up that account.

Footage shows a Honda Pilot blocking part of the road as two federal agents approached. As one of them tries to open the door, the SUV backs up slightly. A third agent then appears in front of the automobile, and he fires at the driver as it begins to turn and move forward. The vehicle briefly continues to move ahead before crashing.

Local officials – including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz – have accused ICE agents of acting dangerously and criticised the federal government for roiling tensions with the operation. 

Mr Vance dismissed those concerns on Jan 8, calling Mr Walz “a joke”.

“He’s a guy who has enabled fraud, and maybe, in fact, has participated in fraud. That’s what this new assistant attorney-general position is going to find out,” he said. BLOOMBERG