Trump administration officials denied a report that a Treasury Department undersecretary was leaving over his objections to the White House's plan to crack down on fraud cases tied to people in Minnesota's Somali immigrant community.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that John Hurley, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence had raised concerns about enhanced federal monitoring of international payments from the Minneapolis area and was stepping aside as a result.
Senior administration officials rejected the report, calling it "fake news being pushed by uninformed leakers."
Officials told Newsmax that Hurley and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "have a great working relationship" and that the undersecretary is in discussions with the White House for "an important new role."
Hurley himself rejected the suggestion that he opposed the administration's America First anti-fraud push.
"Under the leadership of Secretary Bessent, TFI has been at the tip of the spear pushing back to stop Somalia fraud in Minnesota," Hurley said in a statement to Newsmax. "Anyone who has told you I do not proudly support these America First efforts is either uninformed or malicious."
Hurley detailed ongoing investigations into money services businesses, enhanced reporting requirements to disrupt fraud rings, and coordination with financial institutions to help accelerate prosecutions and recover laundered funds.
He said that the Treasury Department hopes to use new reporting data to provide law enforcement with typologies that can support prosecutions nationwide.
Treasury officials underscored that rooting out fraud is central to President Donald Trump's broader agenda to protect taxpayers.
"Secretary Bessent is working tirelessly to execute on President Trump's agenda and safeguard American taxpayers from the crime and corruption enabled by the radical left," a Treasury spokesperson said in a statement to Newsmax.
"The United States Treasury is committed to stamping out the rampant Somali fraud occurring in Minnesota, as well as all other financial fraud across America."
In Tuesday night's State of the Union address, Trump cited Minnesota as an example of corruption draining taxpayer dollars.
"But when it comes to the corruption that is plundering — really, it's plundering America — there's been no more stunning example than Minnesota," Trump said, alleging that members of the Somali community there had pillaged billions from federal programs.
While critics have accused the administration of politicizing enforcement efforts, the White House maintains the focus is squarely on financial crime, not ethnicity, and insists that enhanced monitoring and investigations are about accountability and restoring public trust.
With Hurley expected to move into a new role, officials say the administration's anti-fraud campaign is not slowing down. If anything, they argue, it is just getting started.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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