Bessent says Minnesota fraud recovery could help fund Trump’s $1.5T defense plan

Key Highlights

• Speaking at the Minnesota Economic Club, Bessent said the Treasury Department is intensifying efforts to recover taxpayer dollars lost to welfare fraud, describing Minnesota as a focal point of ongoing investigations tied to federally funded programs."Minnesota, unfortunately, is ground zero for what may be one of the most egregious welfare scams in our nation’s history to date," Bessent said.
• MINNESOTA’S ANTI-FRAUD SPENDING HAS QUIETLY BALLOONED, LEAVING TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR FAILURE TWICE Scott Bessent, U. S.
• Treasury Secretary, during an Economic Club of Minnesota event in Golden Valley, Minnesota, on Thursday, Jan.
• 8, 2026.
• (Ben Brewer/Bloomberg/) Bessent said recovering those funds could help finance Trump’s proposal to raise U. S.