Contributing writer Clint Combs reports on the federal indictments of 15 people accused of defrauding Minnesota’s Medicaid program of $90 million, the presence of RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz at the Minneapolis press conference, the absence of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the story of stroke survivor Aaron Johnson who has spent years fighting to receive benefits lost in Medicaid fraud fallout.
Federal prosecutors announced indictments May 21 against 15 people accused of defrauding Minnesota’s Medicaid program of $90 million, but the nation’s top law enforcement officer was absent from the Minneapolis press conference where the charges were unveiled.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche did not attend the event, instead appearing in Washington to defend a $1.776 billion fund that would compensate claims from allies of President Donald Trump, including participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Days before the press conference, the Justice Department released a memo stating the IRS is “forever barred” from investigating past tax returns of Trump and his family.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz joined DOJ officials at the Minneapolis event, where they alleged defendants billed for services never provided, exploited vulnerable children and adults, and used stolen funds to purchase luxury vehicles and real estate…