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How Somali fraudsters ran riot allegedly stealing more than $1BILLION of taxpayers' money on Tim Walz's watch: 'We're losing our way of life'​

Confidence in Minnesota's social safety net has been shaken by fraudsters who authorities say have stolen more than $1 billion in public funds from programs meant to feed children, assist the homeless and provide autism therapy.

Over the last five years, people mostly within Somali communities have gotten rich by running companies that bill the state for millions of dollars in social services that were never actually rendered, The New York Times reported.

Federal prosecutors say of the 86 people that have been charged, 59 have been convicted so far in what they describe as three separate fraud schemes.

One central case involved the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which claimed to serve tens of thousands of meals to low-income children during the pandemic.

Prosecutors allege most of those meals never existed, and instead, the taxpayer money went to luxury homes, cars, jewelry and real estate abroad.

'No one will support these programs if they continue to be riddled with fraud,' Joseph H Thompson, the federal prosecutor who took on the cases, told The Times. 'We're losing our way of life in Minnesota in a very real way.'

Given the scale of the situation, President Donald Trump has weighed in, criticizing Governor Tim Walz for allowing Minnesota to become 'a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.'

He said the perpetrators should be 'sent back to where they came from.' He later said he would be revoking the temporary protected status of the roughly 700 Somali nationals who have it, which prevents them from being deported.

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Minnesota officials saw signs of massive fraud even before COVID hit​

In July 2019, Minnesota state officials spotted early signs of fraud that would eventually siphon away more than $1 billion in taxpayer money, but they quickly faced pressure from leaders of the charitable group Feeding Our Future to stop asking questions, according to multiple former employees at the Minnesota Department of Education. The scandal, which has already led to 61 convictions, has widely been viewed as a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland called it "the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme" in the United States.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick said those convicted "took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to carry out a massive fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed children." But state officials say the schemes aimed at diverting federal dollars meant for people who are poor, food insecure or disabled, actually started far sooner, months after Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz took office in 2019. In its early stages, members of the charitable group Feeding Our Future billed the state for some $3.4 million.

By 2021, however, that number ballooned. Before it was finally halted, Feeding Our Future had falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which the group received nearly $250 million in federal funds, according to federal prosecutors. That money did not go to feed kids, federal officials said. Instead it was used to fund lavish lifestyles.

Investigators say the money came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with oversight from state governments. In Minnesota, those funds were administered by the state Department of Education, with meals historically provided to kids through schools and day care centers.
In recent weeks, renewed attention to the scandal has focused on the state's failure to identify and halt the theft before it spun out of control. Conservative politicians and bloggers have alleged the state's liberal establishment was cowed into inaction by intimidation from Feeding Our Future, which contracted within the state's large Somali community — because the food charity sought to paint early scrutiny of the nonprofit as racism.

Well before the pandemic, state officials told CBS News that they began experiencing tension with the woman later convicted of masterminding the fraud, Aimee Bock. They began documenting her "concerning behavior." One former employee told CBS News that Bock almost immediately began pressuring state workers who might have had follow up questions or concerns before processing reimbursements.

Within weeks of Feeding Our Future's first submissions to the state, Minnesota workers also recognized that the charity was claiming to serve meals in numbers that were "not consistent" and "not realistic," one official told CBS News. Then the pandemic took hold. The officials told CBS News the scheme rapidly accelerated. Safeguards fell away — removed intentionally to insure residents in need did not go hungry.

But as state workers asked more questions — and even stopped payment on some receipts — Feeding Our Future ratcheted up pressure in response. In 2020, the charitable group filed a lawsuit alleging the state had "harmed Feeding Our Future by subjecting it to additional procedural hurdles in violation of federal regulations." The state "intentionally and wrongfully refuse[d] to do business with Feeding Our Future and the community it serves by discriminating … because of Feeding Our Future's race, national origin, color, and religion."

A judge dismissed the civil case after the FBI executed search warrants on Feeding Our Future and made public its investigation in January 2022. The entire episode played out in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, as racial tensions ran high. Seven months later, federal prosecutors first announced criminal charges against 47 people in the Feeding Our Future scandal. The number charged grew to 78 in total, and 59 have since been convicted, including Bock, who is awaiting sentencing.

Reached by phone on Thursday, Bock's attorney Kenneth Udoibok said his client plans to appeal her conviction. He denied Bock exerted pressure on state officials so they would not properly scrutinize meal claims. "That doesn't meet the smell test," Udoibok said. "A government agency with all its resources, and its reputation is afraid of Amy? That is just rich. It's a lie." Udoibok said the state Department of Education employees leveling the accusation weren't acknowledging their own role in the massive fraud. "No one in the state of Minnesota, no one in the Department of Education has taken any responsibility for this fraud that they allowed to go through," he said

While Bock, who is White, was described by investigators as the mastermind, most of the other defendants and alleged co-conspirators are Somalis, provoking fresh attacks from the Trump administration against the state's large Somali community.

In recent days, President Trump has claimed Somali migrants "ripped off" Minnesota and has referred to the state as a "hellhole." He has called people from Somalia "garbage" who "contribute nothing" and said: "I don't want them in our country, I'll be honest with you." This week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement began enhanced operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, home to a large population of Somalis.

Walz on Thursday said Mr. Trump's comments are "unprecedented for a United States president," and he denounced Trump's barrage of anti-Somali statements as "vile, racist lies and slander towards our fellow Minnesotans." Walz said on "Meet the Press" last weekend that the fraud cases are "totally disconnected" from the broader Somali community. "To demonize an entire community on the actions of a few, it's lazy," he said.

House Republicans on Wednesday launched an investigation into the governor's handling of the fraud cases. Walz has long been criticized for being slow to act, but he has said his administration caught the fraud early and reported it first to the USDA, and then to the FBI. Prosecutors have charged nearly a dozen others in cases involving other alleged COVID-related fraud in Minnesota. The schemes are alleged to have operated similarly to the original one focused on nutrition funds, but these involve housing assistance and behavioral health services.

Prosecutors in all those cases have charged an additional eight people, most of whom are Somali, bringing the total number charged to 87, with 61 convictions. Sources at the U.S. attorneys office tell CBS News the investigations are ongoing in all of the fraud cases, including Feeding Our Future, with the total amount of stolen money reaching more than $1 billion.

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Ilhan Omar declares Somali criminals in US 'are not going anywhere'​

Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar claimed on Thursday that illegal Somali immigrants are protected under the 14th Amendment and will never leave the U.S.

Omar claimed on “The Joy Reid Show” that these Somalis, many of whom are in the country illegally, are just as American as anyone else and that they are “not going anywhere.” President Donald Trump’s administration is cracking down on illegal Somalis in response to reports that Somali nationals in Minnesota funneled “untold millions” of dollars from the state’s welfare system and sent it to Al-Shabaab, a terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of at least 11 Americans.

“I know that those of us that are Somali in this country see ourselves as Americans. That’s what our passport says, that’s what our nationality is. And we know that we are protected by the 14th Amendment. We know that we are not going anywhere,” Omar said. “And there is no way, I mean he needs to just, I know he says he’s never met me. Maybe he needs to spend 5 minutes with me, because then he would know that as Somalis, we are never intimidated. We are never going to feel like our esteem or confidence is shaken by a bigoted fool making a mockery of the White House, of our nation and of the presidency.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has launched aggressive operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul to deport Somali nationals and is prioritizing those with final removal orders. The enforcement came after Trump told reporters that he does not want Somalis and other third-worlders in the country.

Federal prosecutors are pursuing cases involving more than $1 billion in stolen taxpayer funds to state and federal social services programs, including those that are intended to feed poor children and provide care to autistic kids. Prosecutors secured 59 convictions thus far in fraud tied to pandemic feeding programs, housing assistance and autism therapy services.

All but eight of the 86 people charged in the fraudulent scheme are of Somali ancestry, according to The New York Times.

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pigfarmer

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Funny how nobody ever mentioned his stutter until they needed and excuse for his word salad. What Harris' excuse is nobody knows. What would the reaction be if DT did that ?

Biden Fumbles “America” in Onstage Slip, Triggering Waves of Mockery and Renewed Scrutiny

Joe Biden’s speech at the 2025 International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference sparked major online buzz after he dramatically mispronounced “America” during an otherwise energetic address. The slip, quickly clipped and circulated across social platforms, fueled fresh criticism and jokes from detractors. Supporters, however, noted his lifelong stutter and brushed off the moment as a simple verbal stumble. The incident arrives amid ongoing scrutiny of Biden’s communication style as political rivals seize on every misstep for renewed attacks.

 
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Maine becomes second Democrat-run state hit by accusations of widespread Somali fraud... with woke lawmaker giving vile answer to voter who asked him about it​

A second Democrat-run state has been hit by accusations of fraud within the Somali community, prompting a vile response from one lawmaker who was quizzed about it by a constituent. As Minnesota grapples with one of the biggest fraud scandals in US history, a whistleblower in Maine has now stepped forward alleging state taxpayers have been defrauded out of funds meant for social services.

Christopher Bernardini told NewsNation he worked as a 'billing guru' for Portland-based Gateway Community Services for seven years until April 2025 - while they were allegedly defrauding Maine's Medicaid program.

The company's founder and CEO, Abdullahi Ali, is a Somali-American who ran for president of Jubaland, a state in Somalia, last year while juggling his role as executive director. He came under fire at the time amid reports from The Maine Wire that he had boasted of funding the militia to 'help the troops buy weapons, bullets and food' while he was in America. The comments sparked concerns about whether any of the $28.8million in payments his LLC received via MaineCare had been misappropriated.

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Rubio defends attacks in Caribbean waters and tells the EU: “It can’t determine” how the US defends itself

By EL SOL NETWORK TV
November 13, 2025


They present a law to reduce violence against children in Central America The US Senator from Florida, Republican Marco Rubio. EFE / Archive

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended on Wednesday the attacks carried out against vessels in Caribbean waters, arguing that they are in “their hemisphere” and stating that the European Union cannot interfere in US policy.

“I don’t think the European Union can determine what international law is. It certainly can’t determine how the United States defends its national security,” he told the press before reiterating the White House argument that President Donald Trump is acting “in defense” of a country that “is being attacked by organized narco-terrorists in (its) hemisphere.”

Rubio stated that he “finds it interesting that all these countries want us to send and supply, for example, nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to defend Europe, but when the United States sends aircraft carriers into our hemisphere, where we live, then that’s a problem.”

The head of the diplomatic corps made these statements from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, which is hosting the G7 foreign ministers’ summit. He denied that the U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and the Pacific were discussed in the meeting with his counterparts: “Perhaps they discussed it among themselves, but it wasn’t addressed in any of the meetings we had, neither last night nor today,” he asserted.
The Secretary of State reiterated that it is an anti-drug trafficking operation, stating that “it could be stopped tomorrow (if) they stop sending ships with drugs,” before again labeling the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela a “narco-terrorist regime.”

“They openly cooperate in the shipment of these drugs to the United States and Europe, by the way, so perhaps they should thank us” for the operations, he stated, in remarks that come a day after his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, expressed his “concern” about these attacks that “ignore international law.”

The French foreign minister also stressed, in statements reported by France 24, the need to avoid the “instability caused by possible escalations,” after Venezuela announced the deployment of 200,000 troops in response to the “threat” posed by Washington in the region by sending a new aircraft carrier amid heightened tensions.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed similar sentiments, stating that the multilateral organization remains “very concerned and increasingly worried” about the growing hostilities between Washington and Caracas, and calling for “a reduction in tensions through increased diplomatic dialogue.”
 
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Whistleblower warns massive fraud is happening in Ohio Somali community​

On the heels of Minnesota’s still-unfolding massive social services fraud scandal, a whistleblower is exposing a similar scheme occurring among the Ohio Somali community, which she says dates back over a decade and totals millions in stolen taxpayer dollars. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Mehek Cooke, an Ohio attorney and conservative commentator, said that "Minnesota was just the tip of the spear." She said that providers within the Ohio Somali community have confided to her that they have been pressured to join in a "massive" Medicaid fraud scheme that involves doctors "rubber stamping" home healthcare payouts to the family members of elderly individuals for fake medical conditions.

She explained that scammers in the community have been exploiting a loophole in Ohio’s Medicaid program that allows individuals to receive Medicaid payments, totaling as much as $91,000 per year per individual, for care they are supposedly providing to a family member. Doctors who approve these payments in turn receive kickbacks themselves, according to Cooke. "They're just rubberstamping a lot of these. And then that same individual, a week later, that's supposed to be bedridden, is all over social media, whether they're out dancing at a party or something like that. So, the symptoms aren't really adding up at the end of the day."

Cooke noted that she believes that "the problem today is not the community; it's actually the criminals within the Somalian community that have exploited Ohio's Medicaid program because we have a system right now that's one of the easiest in the Midwest to game." "Say I want to take care of my elderly aging parents at some point. I can become a home health provider, and this is where the Somali community has been really clever. They've been able to find loopholes in Ohio law to provide for care for family members, even when they don't need it," Cooke explained. She said that the providers who came to her divulged this information at great personal risk, telling her that if they were exposed, they would be "stoned to death."

"We have entrusted states to look at the funding and to allocate it to build programs, to build rules and regulations. But unfortunately, in states like Ohio, it is being infiltrated and broken down because you don't actually have independent assessments with not only doctors but somebody at the Department of Medicaid coming in. There's not random visits that are happening all the time," she said. "So, a lot of times what's happening is an individual is coached to lie to a doctor."

Cooke said that, according to providers within the community, 99% of the time, individuals receiving the home healthcare Medicaid benefit have been coached and do not actually qualify for the benefit. "What we're seeing in Minneapolis is just a snippet of what's happening in Ohio," she said. "I know that everybody wants to make this a Somali issue or a race issue. It's not. Our waiver system in Ohio was built with compassion. It was built to really help individuals that are struggling and in need, but it's being looted today," Cooke went on. "I think every state, in addition to Ohio, should be asking for audits of their Medicaid system and their programs," she said, adding, "At the end of the day, Ohio taxpayers are hurting, the American people are hurting, and we don't have enough tax dollars."

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pigfarmer

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
National cabinet agrees unanimously to strengthen Australia's strict gun laws in wake of Bondi terror attack

What Guns Are Legal in Australia? Complete Guide to Firearms Regulations and Licensing Requirements

Pure unadulterated horseshit from grasping feckless politicians. They have to be seen to do something so unsurprisingly this is it. Change the focus away from what it really was.
I read that the weapons used were perfectly legal and registered so how did any gun laws serve to prevent this? Obviously they didn't. More of something ineffective won't help. Take away every gun and it'll be something else.

I'd point out that one of the worse mass killings on record was done with a dollar's worth of gasoline:
Blaze Kills 87 in N.Y. Social Club : Fire: An employee’s ex-boyfriend is arrested on arson and murder charges. Nightspot was operating illegally.
 
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pigfarmer

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
I forgot about this.

I went on a service call in Queens once and about an hour after I left in the exact spot I had been in some crazy m**********r was waving a for-real sword around and menacing people Game of Thrones style.
Thankfully an armed cop was right there and put an end to it instantly, no shots fired fortunately.

Two lessons for me on the takeaway: refuse to go to certain areas and don't bring a sword to a gunfight
 
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