It seems like fraud is the flavor of the week in Minnesota and California, and now Vice President J.D. Vance is rolling up his sleeves to tackle it. Vance is calling for a new position focused solely on rooting out fraud, especially in states like Minnesota, where alleged fraud is grabbing headlines. Not one to let Minnesota have all the fun, President Trump has turned his gaze to California, famously describing it under Governor Gavin Newsom as a swamp of corruption. Apparently, an investigation into California’s murky waters has already kicked off.

Governor Gavin Newsom, never one to shy away from a challenge, responded with his usual bravado. His office claims to have stopped over $125 billion in fraud. Yes, read that again. It’s quite a fantastical figure that leaves everyone wondering if there’s a secret solution that nobody else has figured out yet. Californians, skeptical as ever, might wonder if this is just another tall tale from the governor’s office. After all, past attempts at handling things like homelessness have been met with, let’s say, less than stellar results.

Speaking of homelessness, it’s a never-ending money pit in California with $24 billion supposedly spent, yet the problem only worsens. Some say that money has evaporated faster than a Californian’s patience in a Los Angeles traffic jam. With the homelessness audit blocked back in the day, the question remains: where did those billions really go? It seems transparency is as elusive as the high-speed rail tracks that were meant to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles. Spoiler alert: the tracks are still missing.

Now about this new Assistant Attorney General position, speculation abounds as to whether it will be the silver bullet to tackle this fraud quagmire, or just another talking head navigating the bureaucracy. California becomes a ‘target-rich environment’, ripe for investigation, with unemployment fraud, financial aid scams, and the infamous ‘train to nowhere’. It’s a veritable playground for fraud, mismanagement, and the art of elusive accounting.

Congressman Kevin Kiley, a Californian and judiciary committee member, suggests a bit more of congressional oversight might be in order, waving the power of the purse like a flag of fiscal hope. Meanwhile, one might wonder if their taxes are just a goodwill donation to the state’s ever-mysterious budget black hole. As for whether this new fraud-busting role will deliver real results or just contribute to California’s colorful history of bureaucratic filibusters, only time will tell. Until then, Californians may want to watch their wallets.