BANGOR — Vice President JD Vance came to Bangor Thursday with a blunt message for Maine: the fraud problem is real, Washington is now watching, and taxpayers should demand accountability from every level of government.
Speaking before a crowd in Bangor, Vance focused heavily on welfare fraud, Medicaid abuse, identity theft, illegal immigration, and what he described as a failure by state leaders to protect taxpayer-funded programs from exploitation.
“This is about protecting the people who do things the right way,” Vance said, arguing that fraud does not just hurt taxpayers, but also the vulnerable Mainers who depend on public benefits.
“There is no such thing as a victimless fraud,” Vance said. “When somebody steals your tax dollars, the victim is the American taxpayer.”
Vance also praised The Maine Wire’s reporting on fraud in Maine, specifically recognizing Steve Robinson and Jon Fetherston for continuing to press the issue.
Fetherston asked Vance what Mainers can do to hold elected officials accountable and ensure the fraud problem is fixed.
Vance said the first responsibility rests with federal law enforcement.
“When we find somebody who’s committing fraud against the American people, we’ve got to show up, arrest them, and try to send them to prison,” Vance said.
He said enforcement also sends a message.
“We’re not going to tolerate this crap anymore,” Vance said.
The vice president repeatedly criticized Gov. Janet Mills, saying her administration has not done enough to cooperate with federal officials or crack down on fraud in Maine’s benefit programs.
“I would love to work with the governor of Maine to stop the fraud that’s being perpetrated in this state,” Vance said. “Republican or Democrat, this is common sense.”
Vance also endorsed former Gov. Paul LePage’s run for Congress, calling him a leader who fought fraud while in office and would continue that fight in Washington.
“He did not stand for fraud when he was governor, and he will not stand for fraud in the United States House of Representatives,” Vance said.
Fraud has become a major political issue in Maine following a series of investigations, audits, and allegations involving MaineCare and other taxpayer-funded programs.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found Maine made at least $45.6 million in improper Medicaid payments for autism-related services. Federal officials have also scrutinized interpretation billing, including a Lewiston-based case involving Reliable Language Resources and allegations of services billed but not performed.
The Maine Wire has also reported extensively on allegations involving Gateway Community Services, Legit Home Health Care, Luna Home Care, and Paradise Residential, all part of a broader concern that Maine’s safety-net programs have been exploited while vulnerable residents are left waiting for legitimate services.
Vance tied those examples to a larger national pattern.
“We see people out there providing services to autistic children when, in reality, they don’t have any children at all,” Vance said. “What happened to the autistic children and their families who actually need services?”
He said the real tragedy is not only the money lost, but the damage done to public trust and to the people who rely on these programs.
“We don’t want American citizens to go hungry,” Vance said. “We don’t want low-income kids to not be able to afford a bite to eat. We want to make sure that if you’re a poor child or a poor family, you have an opportunity to see a doctor.”
But, he said, those programs cannot survive if fraud is allowed to continue.
“What destroys those programs is when local officials and state officials and federal officials let the fraud take advantage of you instead of fighting for you,” Vance said.
Vance urged Mainers to stay engaged, report suspicious activity, question local officials, and support leaders willing to work with federal investigators.
“Keep your eyes and your ears to the ground,” Vance said. “There is fraud all around us. If we’re going to fix this problem, we’re going to need citizens to take it seriously.”
For Maine taxpayers, Vance’s visit marked a clear escalation: fraud is no longer just a state-level concern or a subject of local reporting. It is now a national political issue, and one the Trump administration says it intends to pursue aggressively.
