State Financial Officers Pledge to Join VP Vance in 'War On Fraud'

Coalition of conservative state treasurers, auditors, and comptrollers say they've uncovered billions in waste and are ready to support federal anti-fraud efforts.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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A coalition of conservative state financial officers who report they have already uncovered and stopped billions in taxpayer waste is pledging to join with Vice President JD Vance to root out fraud nationwide. The State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF), which represents 40 state treasurers, auditors and comptrollers across 28 states, says it oversees more than $3 trillion in state funds and has safeguarded over $28 billion from waste, fraud, and abuse in 2025 alone.

Why it matters

The Trump administration has made rooting out fraud in federal social programs like Medicaid a priority, with Vice President Vance leading the charge. The involvement of state-level financial watchdogs could significantly boost these efforts and lead to the recovery of billions more in misspent taxpayer dollars.

The details

In a letter to the White House, the SFOF praised President Trump's focus on fraud and said its members stand ready to support the administration's anti-fraud mission. The group's latest 'Oversight Report' claimed its members found nearly $2 billion in excessive local government spending in Florida and over $1 billion in waste in Kentucky, including $836 million in improper Medicaid payments. The administration has already moved to halt some Medicaid funding to Minnesota to force reforms after a major fraud scandal there.

  • On Tuesday, President Trump put Vice President Vance in charge of leading the federal government's 'war on fraud' during the State of the Union address.
  • On Thursday, the SFOF sent a letter to the White House pledging its support for the administration's anti-fraud efforts.

The players

JD Vance

The current Vice President of the United States, who has been tasked by President Trump with leading the federal government's crackdown on fraud.

OJ Oleka

The CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF), which represents 40 conservative state treasurers, auditors and comptrollers across 28 states.

Blaise Ingoglia

The Chief Financial Officer of Florida, who found almost $2 billion in excessive local government spending.

Allison Ball

The Auditor of Kentucky, who discovered over $1 billion in waste, including more than $836 million in improper Medicaid payments.

Mehmet Oz

The administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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What they’re saying

“We have decided to temporarily halt certain amounts of Medicaid funding that are going to the state of Minnesota in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people's tax money.”

— JD Vance, Vice President (Fox News)

“A lot of people are getting rich off the generosity of American taxpayers. But more fundamentally, and more importantly than that, it means that there are kids in Minnesota who deserve these services, who need these services, and they're not going to those kids. They're going to fraudsters in Minneapolis.”

— JD Vance, Vice President (Fox News)

“Our cohort of 40 officers from 28 states oversees more than $3 trillion in state funds, upholding their fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of every taxpayer.”

— OJ Oleka, CEO, State Financial Officers Foundation (Fox News)

“By working together, we can protect our nation's treasure to the fullest extent against every foe and every plot to endanger it.”

— OJ Oleka, CEO, State Financial Officers Foundation (Fox News)

What’s next

The Trump administration plans to continue halting Medicaid funding to Minnesota until the state takes steps to address the fraud issues uncovered there. The SFOF has also pledged to work closely with Vice President Vance and the federal government in the broader 'war on fraud'.

The takeaway

This coalition of state financial watchdogs could significantly bolster the federal government's efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in social programs like Medicaid, potentially recovering billions more in taxpayer dollars that have been misspent or stolen. Their involvement underscores the bipartisan push to crack down on fraud and ensure public funds are used responsibly.