Explosive report finds $225M in alleged K-12 education fraud amid Trump's crackdown: 'Especially hideous'
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of state financial officers said it uncovered roughly $225 million in alleged fraud across America’s schools over the past six years, identifying nearly 90 cases...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of state financial officers said it uncovered roughly $225 million in alleged fraud across America’s schools over the past six years, identifying nearly 90 cases involving embezzlement, fake invoices, inflated enrollment, bid-rigging and kickbacks. In a new report obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) and Open the Books analyzed every Education Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) Semiannual Report to Congress issued between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, revealing alleged fraud across 24 states and Puerto Rico. "All fraud is harmful, but defrauding education dollars meant to help kids learn and succeed is especially hideous," SFOF CEO OJ Oleka said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The findings in this report should alarm every family, teacher, and civic leader, especially since they only scratch the surface of the problem. The state financial officers courageously tracking every school dollar abused historically have had a bloated federal education bureaucracy only make their job harder." THE WAR ON FRAUD IS HERE, AND VICE PRESIDENT VANCE IS LEADING IT FROM THE FRONT The findings come as the Trump administration prioritizes cracking down on government fraud, with Vice President JD Vance leading a nationwide "War on Fraud," raising fresh questions about oversight of federal education spending. About $67 million was ordered to be repaid through court rulings or settlements, though it's unclear how much has actually been recovered. Oleka said the report is a reminder that state oversight has "never mattered more." Only three of the nation's 20 largest federally funded school districts appeared in OIG records, according to the report. The remaining 17 were absent, while federal investigations targeted dozens of smaller districts, charter schools, online schools and education programs, highlighting potential gaps in federal oversight. "With that in mind, stronger oversight of fe…