Ramaswamy Says He Will ‘Aggressively’ Prosecute Kind Of Fraud Uncovered By Daily Wire

Vivek Ramaswamy said he would “aggressively” prosecute the kind of fraud uncovered by The Daily Wire if elected governor of Ohio, saying lawmakers had too long “turned a blind eye” to government waste.

Ramaswamy told Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro on Tuesday that he would crack down on rampant fraud in Ohio subsidized by taxpayer dollars. His comments came after Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak published a story revealing that Ohio was paying people under the guise of “home healthcare” to do “chores” like cooking and cleaning for their own families, paid for by Medicaid. 

“Daily Wire’s reporting was really intriguing to me. I wish I could say that it was a shock compared to what I hear on the ground,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was not a shock, but I appreciate you putting a national spotlight on it in my own home state.”

“When I am in power, hopefully if we’re elected, we’re not going to sweep it under the rug. We’ve got to prosecute aggressively,” Ramaswamy added.

Ramaswamy made the comments as Republicans head to the polls Tuesday to choose their gubernatorial nominee. He is widely expected to win the Republican nomination, with most polls showing him with a commanding lead. 

Rosiak reported Monday that Ohio spent a billion dollars on home health care in 2024, the last year for which data is available. What these funds went toward was difficult to verify because they often went toward “home health care” performed in private residences by family members of those getting the care. 

To address the apparent widespread fraud, Ramaswamy said he would start by enforcing the laws already on the books. 

“I think that the reality is all states, including Ohio, have turned a blind eye to this level of rampant fraud, of the welfare system broadly, including Medicaid,” he told Shapiro. “And it starts, Ben, with enforcing the laws that are already on the books.”

He said that the prosecutions would help create deterrence for people to stop bilking taxpayers. 

“It’s not really even bilking the government so much as bilking the taxpayer, the ordinary law-abiding American, the ordinary law-abiding Ohioan. 
That’s not OK. And we have to send that deterrent signal,” he said. 

Part of the problem is that the federal government currently reimburses the states for welfare expenses, which Ramaswamy said creates a flawed incentive structure for local state politicians to keep doling out benefits while the federal government handles the burden. Ramaswamy said he would work with the Trump administration to correct this incentive structure. 

“This is doable,” he said. “But it does require a leader at the top who’s willing to act with a spine decisively.”