House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told California Governor Gavin Newsom to “lawyer up” as Republicans launched a congressional investigation into alleged fraud in the state’s hospice programs. This issue has been ongoing in Los Angeles County and is now becoming a political fight in Washington.
Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, mentioned on Fox News that the situation in California might be as serious as or worse than other fraud cases his committee has examined. In a letter dated March 23, the committee requested documents and communications from Newsom concerning California’s management of federally funded hospice programs and the steps taken to find and prevent fraud.
In the letter, Republicans on the Oversight Committee pointed out that “recent reporting has revealed alarming evidence of fraudulent activity in California’s hospice programs, including agencies overbilling Medicare and fraudulently enrolling beneficiaries without their knowledge.”
The letter claims that Newsom’s administration has known about credible reports of hospice fraud for at least four years. It requests records from the Departments of Public Health, Social Services, and Health Care Services.
Rep. James Comer sounds the alarm, saying California voter fraud could be far worse than Minnesota.
He warns the scale could be massive.
“Gavin Newsom better lawyer up!”pic.twitter.com/MA0jCZ1XCu
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 25, 2026
This investigation follows recent reports about the number of hospice providers in Los Angeles County. A CBS News investigation found that over 700 of about 1,800 hospices in the county showed several signs of possible fraud, based on indicators identified by state auditors. One report also highlighted a three-story office building linked in state records to 89 hospice companies.
Federal lawmakers referred to a March 2022 report from the California state auditor, stating that Los Angeles County had seen a 1,500% increase in hospice providers since 2010. That report indicated that providers overbilled Medicare by at least $105 million in one year, according to the House committee’s announcement.
Newsom’s office has responded, stating that California has already taken action. In a statement released this week on the governor’s official website, the administration noted that the state has revoked over 280 hospice licenses, placed more than 300 providers under investigation, and has maintained a moratorium on new hospice licenses to show that efforts to combat fraud are already underway.
Per usual, Joe Rogan has no idea what he’s talking about. California is leading the nation in PREVENTING fraud — protecting billions of dollars meant for families and seniors.
Since @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom took office:
— $125 billion+ in fraud STOPPED
— 1,200+ criminals… https://t.co/KQb6AnmU1n
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 23, 2026
This response argues that the state has not ignored the issue and emphasizes that enforcement efforts have been ongoing for years. The governor’s office portrayed the latest Republican action as politically motivated, while pointing to California’s task force and licensing actions.
The letter makes it clear that Republican lawmakers are not just looking into what happened but also when it was addressed. They want to know how long warning signs had been visible and whether state officials acted quickly once those issues became apparent.
The inquiry also connects California to a separate review in Minnesota, where the same committee reported finding gaps in how state agencies monitored federally funded social service programs.
For Newsom, the investigation sets up another clash with Republicans in Washington as tensions between state and federal leaders remain high.
For the committee, the focus now shifts to whether California’s oversight system allowed fraudulent providers to operate long enough to collect federal funds, affecting patients and families who depend on hospice care.
Newsom has been a vocal critic of Trump and will likely take a defensive stance, insisting he has nothing to hide. He is also viewed as one of the front runners for the 2028 Democratic presidential campaign.
