Sen. Ron Johnson said the federal government is "probably the easiest payer to fleece" on Fox News and pledged to press state agencies for records as chair of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He said he will use subpoena power and has reached out to producers of viral videos alleging fraud, including a YouTuber linked to claims about Minnesota daycares. Johnson also repeated partisan attacks on Somali immigrants that echo statements by former President Trump; those community‑level claims remain contested and have not been independently verified here.
Sen. Ron Johnson Says Federal Government Is ‘Easy’ To Fleece, Pledges Records Push — And Echoes Trump On Somalis
Ron Johnson described the federal government as the 'easiest consumer' and 'easiest payer' to 'fleece.' / Fox News
Senator Ron Johnson (R‑Wis.) told Fox News that the federal government is "probably the easiest payer to fleece," and said he plans to press state agencies for records and use subpoena power as chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
Claims, Investigations and Outreach
During an appearance on Sunday Morning Futures, guest host Cheryl Casone raised an allegation of a roughly "$9 billion" fraud connected to Medicaid/Obamacare payments in Minnesota. Johnson said this topic will be a primary focus for his subcommittee and described plans to demand transparency from state agencies that receive federal funds.
Johnson's time on Fox News focused heavily on alleged mass welfare fraud in Tim Walz's Minnesota. / Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
"Let’s face it, the federal government’s probably the easiest consumer, the easiest payer to fleece, and states do it time and time again," Johnson said.
Johnson said he has reached out to online content creators who circulated viral videos alleging fraud, including YouTuber Nick Shirley, and indicated he would seek testimony from people who produced such material. He emphasized that documentary records will be required and that agency heads who distribute federal funds must press for transparency.
Subpoenas and Partisan Pushback
Johnson noted that some state officials — particularly in Democratic‑led states, he argued — have resisted producing records. "I’ve got subpoena power; I will use that to obtain these records because we have to get to the bottom of this," he said.
Johnson focused on Somalis in Minnesota, describing them as 'amateurs' at fraud despite MAGA blaming the community. / Fox News
Remarks About Somali Immigrants
Johnson also echoed recent comments from former President Donald Trump by singling out Somali immigrants in Minnesota, calling them "amateurs" at committing fraud and suggesting the problem is widespread. These comments repeat unverified or disputed claims promoted by some conservative media figures.
Earlier this month, President Trump publicly accused Somali immigrants in Minnesota of disproportionately relying on public assistance and said, among other remarks, that "they contribute nothing" and that he did not want them in the country. That claim — including a widely cited figure that 88 percent of Somali immigrants in Minnesota are on welfare — has been circulated by MAGA allies but is contested and not independently verified in this report.
Context And Verification
Johnson’s comments combine a policy claim about federal oversight and allegations promoted online with partisan rhetoric about immigrant communities. The senator’s stated next steps — demanding records, seeking testimony, and deploying subpoena power — are concrete actions a subcommittee can take, but the underlying fraud figures and community‑level assertions cited on the program remain subject to verification by investigators and independent reporting.
What To Watch: Whether the subcommittee obtains substantive documentation, the credibility of viral videos and online witnesses, and any formal findings that support or refute the alleged fraud totals.
