Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov is pushing back hard against efforts to frame Minnesota’s massive fraud scandal as a purely liberal failure, pointing directly to President Donald Trump’s own record on fraud.
“Do not go out there and say this is all a liberal problem if you don’t want to look under the hood of your own car,” Tarlov said during a recent episode of “The Five.”
“Donald Trump and his administration has not taken fraud seriously.”
She echoed that message on social media, writing, “And don’t call this a ‘liberal problem’ when Donald Trump commuted sentences for major fraudsters and Trump University paid a $25 million settlement for being a scam. If you do not want to look under the hood of your own car, stop pretending you care about corruption.”
A Billion-Dollar Fraud Scandal in Minnesota
Tarlov was referring to the ongoing fallout from a sprawling scheme in Minnesota, where federal prosecutors have charged dozens of people with stealing over $1 billion from public programs designed to help children and vulnerable families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The scandal primarily involved fake meal sites, fabricated homelessness services, and falsified autism therapy claims, with the majority of defendants being Somali American.
Media Coverage and Political Spin
During her remarks, Tarlov emphasized that the New York Times, not any fringe outlet, broke major details of the story.
“The biggest story about this came from The New York Times, and it made liberals look terrible,” she said.
She added that it’s dishonest to claim the media ignored the issue or that Democrats are shielding their own.
Tarlov highlighted how state officials in Minnesota were slow to act even as red flags appeared early in the pandemic.
However, she said politicizing the issue won’t solve the deeper problem of fraud in public programs and warned against selective outrage.
“Fraud should be stamped out everywhere. You should take it seriously,” she said.
“I’m particularly upset that people took COVID money and abused that while folks were dying, while kids weren’t allowed to go to school.”
Trump’s Own Record on Fraud
She also pointed to Trump’s own track record of clemency for convicted fraudsters. Among them:
- Philip Esformes, who orchestrated the largest health care fraud scheme in U.S. history, defrauding $1.3 billion. His sentence was commuted by Trump.
- David Gentile, a private equity executive accused of defrauding investors of $1.6 billion, also received clemency.
- Trump University, which paid a $25 million settlement after students sued, calling it a scam.
Political Repercussions in Minnesota
Tarlov’s comments come as the Minnesota fraud case becomes a central issue in the state’s political landscape.
Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, is facing criticism from Republicans who say he allowed fraud to spiral out of control.
Lisa Demuth, the Republican House speaker, is challenging Walz for governor and claims he “let fraud run wild.”
The scandal, which federal prosecutors say is one of the largest in pandemic-era fraud, started with a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future.
It claimed to feed tens of thousands of children but was actually funneling money to luxury cars, homes, and overseas investments.
As more investigations unfolded, similar schemes were uncovered in housing assistance and autism therapy programs.
Walz Defends His Response
Minnesota has since shut down some of the affected programs and launched a task force to prevent future abuse.
Walz defended his pandemic response, saying the state had to act quickly to get help to those in need, even if some criminals exploited the system.
“The programs are set up to improve people’s lives, and in many cases, the criminals find the loopholes,” Walz told the New York Times.
Tensions Around the Somali Community
While most defendants in the fraud cases are of Somali descent, critics say blaming an entire community is unjust.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) responded to President Trump’s recent comments linking the fraud to immigration by saying, “We do not blame the lawlessness of an individual on a whole community.”
Trump has also claimed, without evidence, that some of the stolen funds may have gone to terrorist organizations like Al Shabab.
Federal prosecutors have not charged anyone in the fraud schemes with any terrorism-related activity.
A Broader Warning
Joseph H. Thompson, the federal prosecutor overseeing the case, underscored the broader concern: “We’re losing our way of life in Minnesota in a very real way,” he told the Times.
Tarlov echoed that concern but stressed that outrage must be applied evenly. “If you don’t want to look under the hood of your own car, stop pretending you care about corruption,” she said.
As the 2026 elections approach, fraud is likely to remain a hot-button issue.
But Tarlov made it clear: weaponizing it only when it hurts the other side isn’t the answer.