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On May 26, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a group of Democrat attorneys general in sending a letter to Vice President JD Vance complaining about the short notice for Vance’s Roundtable on Anti-Fraud Initiatives and the lack of a meeting agenda.

The letter stated that the Democrat attorneys general remain “committed to stopping fraud, waste, and abuse in all government programs across our states,” including Medicaid fraud.

Tong’s close friend, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, noted that “the short notice we were given sends a clear message that we were either an afterthought or we weren’t really welcome.”

Dozens of Democrat attorneys general, including Tong, declined to attend the meeting.

Tong did, however, send a representative — his Chief of Staff, Cara Passaro — to join the roundtable with Vice President Vance, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's National Fraud Enforcement Division Colin McDonald, and more than a dozen attorneys general (mostly Republicans).

Vance welcomed attendees and stressed that fraud is not a victimless crime. He highlighted the need for stronger federal-state coordination, noting that while federal resources are vast, state attorneys general possess unique on-the-ground knowledge of local fraud schemes in programs such as Medicaid, welfare, entitlements, pandemic relief, and small business loans.

The administration highlighted early wins from its anti-fraud task force (created recently and described by Miller as the fastest-moving in history), including:

• Billions in stolen benefits exposed.
• Over $22 billion in fraudulent small business loans referred back to the Treasury for collection.
• More than $1.3 billion in fraudulent Medicaid reimbursements deferred (particularly from California).
• A six-month hold on enrollments for new hospice and home health care providers due to widespread fraud discovered among newer providers.
• Funds recovered from the $135 billion stolen after COVID relief programs were expanded.
• Suspected fraudulent government contracts worth $6.3 billion identified, most awarded during the prior administration.
• Nearly $60 million in student aid fraud blocked.

Ferguson announced the Department of Justice’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division.

Miller stated that the country could balance the budget simply by ensuring that people receiving federal benefits are lawfully entitled to them.

McDonald said that in just 50 days the division had announced 450 major fraud-related actions (charges, convictions, and sentences) nationwide. Examples include:

• Unprecedented charges against 15 defendants in large Medicaid fraud schemes in Minnesota.
• Charges in a $650 million sober homes Medicaid fraud scheme in Arizona.
• A guilty plea in a $270 million Medicaid fraud scheme in California.

He called on the AGs to take three immediate steps for partnership:

1. Re-energize state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) — Fully mobilize them as the "first line of defense" against Medicaid fraud. Aim to make fraud "completely unprofitable." Assess active investigations and prepare charges, with DOJ partnerships for quick action in the next 90 days.
2. Join the DOJ’s new Special Attorneys Program — $300 million available to fund state prosecutors embedded with the Fraud Division or local U.S. Attorney’s offices. Includes a 20% premium to boost state staffing for fraud, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and related crimes.
3. Share data and investigators — Bring state Medicaid claims records, documents, witnesses, and expertise to the table. DOJ has a "successful playbook" for using this data to prosecute. He highlighted an upcoming announcement of a strong partnership with one leading state (involving AG, MFCU, auditor, treasurer, Secretary of State, etc.) and invited all to join similar statewide efforts.

McDonald said the division’s mission is to combat fraud “no matter how big, no matter how small,” hold criminals accountable, protect victims, and restore public trust. He emphasized that the effort is national in scope and invited full partnership: “Come join us in the nationwide fight against fraud. We are ready to partner with you.”

You can listen to the roundtable below, starting around the 29-minute mark.

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