Trump says California is full of fraud. Bonta says the claims are 'reckless'

"Bonta said the Trump administration's claims that state programs are overrun by fraud and that its government was itself perpetrating or facilitating this fraud was "outrageous and ridiculous and without basis." Bonta said most states struggle with some fraud from outside actors, saying that "anywhere there's money flowing there's a risk" and that the state's Department of Justice has thrown immense resources into cracking down on illicit activities and recovering funds for taxpayers."

"Bonta and other state officials have moved swiftly to combat the claims. In California, Bonta said, authorities have recovered nearly $2.7 billion through criminal and civil prosecutions since 2016, including some $740 million through Medi-Cal fraud related prosecutions, about $2 billion under the state's False Claims Act, and an additional $108 million from a task force focused on rooting out tax fraud in the underground economy."

"As a politicized national fight over waste, fraud and abuse led by Republicans have targeted California and its Democratic leadership, Bonta and other state officials have moved swiftly to combat the claims. State authorities have frequently partnered with the federal government in the past on such investigations and welcome a good-faith partnership in the future, Bonta said. CBS News reported on the creation of a California-focused fraud task force earlier this week, citing multiple unnamed sources familiar with the plans."

Federal officials are reportedly considering a California-focused anti-fraud task force. California Attorney General Rob Bonta denounced claims that state programs are overrun by fraud as reckless, false, outrageous, ridiculous and without basis. Bonta noted that most states face some fraud from outside actors and that the state Department of Justice has invested significant resources to crack down on illicit activity and recover taxpayer funds. Since 2016, authorities have recovered nearly $2.7 billion through criminal and civil prosecutions, including Medi-Cal fraud, False Claims Act recoveries, and tax-fraud task force recoveries. State and federal partnerships have commonly supported such investigations.

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