Homelessness and Social Services Oversight

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said on Fox News that an April‑launched federal task force is investigating large‑scale fraud in California’s homeless-services system, criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s oversight of $24 billion in homelessness spending and confirming that two men have already been federally charged for exploiting state projects. Essayli called those multimillion‑dollar cases the 'tip of the iceberg' and said more charges are likely this month, while President Donald Trump used Truth Social to declare that a broader California fraud investigation has begun and Newsom’s office countered that the governor has blocked more than $125 billion in fraud. The scrutiny comes amid similar federal probes in Minnesota and other Democratic-led states’ social‑service programs and Vice President J.D. Vance’s criticism of California’s welfare policies for undocumented immigrants.