Nearly 90 individuals in Minnesota, predominantly Somali’s, have been convicted or pled guilty in connection to a brazen scam to defraud the American taxpayer of billions of dollars. Funds that were earmarked for children with autism and to feed struggling families were diverted into the pockets of Somali pirates to bankroll lavish lifestyles and extravagant purchases, such as high-priced vacation homes, sports cars, and countless other luxury items.
While this egregious abuse of public trust implicates multiple players in the Somali community, it also shines a bright light on Minnesota’s inept Governor Tim Waltz and his corrupt attorney general Keith Ellison, who was seemingly caught on audio tape engaging in a quid-pro-quo for campaign donations with the same Somali fraudsters.
This isn’t simply about a few immigrants coming to America and taking advantage of our generosity, it’s about condoned misconduct and larceny at the highest levels of government. It’s about systemic corruption and governmental negligence that aided and abetted taxpayer dollars to be hijacked for personal and political gain. Something that seems to be a Democrat calling card across America’s blue states these days.
This particular scandal screams government failure at unprecedented levels. Federal investigators have uncovered massive social services schemes that siphoned off billions of dollars intended for programs that didn’t actually exist. One Somali defendant has already been sentenced to 28 years in prison, while another has been ordered to pay 48 million dollars in restitution; a sum that makes the magnitude of this eye-watering theft translate from outrageous to apocalyptic.
The mere fact two defendants have already been sentenced, with one of them facing nearly three decades behind bars, should serve as a wake-up call to all parties involved. But more importantly, it raises the uncomfortable questions about the efficacy of oversight in the corrupt blue state of Minnesota, and the mechanisms that failed to detect or prevent this massive exploitation of public funds.
To make matters worse if that were even possible, since 2017, whistleblowers have been coming forward and sounding alarm bells about widespread fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community; only to be viewed as racists. In 2018, one whistleblower testified in front of Minnesota’s house and senate oversight committee, telling lawmakers he believed as much as “$100 million, possibly more, was being siphoned overseas potentially harming U.S. interests.” That was almost 10 years ago. This included “fake daycares,” that were being used to defraud Medicaid of millions. These fraudulent centers billed for 12-24 hour days, including holidays and weekends, for hundreds of children daily, despite no actual services being provided.
Minnesota’s top Republican officials wasted no time pointing the finger directly at Waltz and his corrupt administration, accusing them of turning a blind eye to these blatant fraud allegations for years. For the last eight years Waltz postured as the champion of immigrant populations and social welfare programs, only to have him become the poster child of waste, fraud and abuse almost overnight; outed by an independent twenty something independent journalist named Nick Shirley. How’s that for oversight?
The governor now faces intense scrutiny, with critics demanding accountability over how such widespread corruption could develop on his watch and for such a sustained period of time. The optics are absolutely horrid, while the Minnesota Somali community was repeatedly hailed as a success story, those same migrant communities were manipulating the very systems built to support the most vulnerable and needy. All under the watchful eye of the seemingly complicit Democrat political machine.
The Minnesota fraud scandal has finally garnered national attention, with federal prosecutors showing estimated losses of over nine billion dollars from fourteen different Medicaid programs, as more whistleblowers continue to come forward. These cases lay bare the ugly face of corruption whenever progressive Democrats meet exploitation opportunities. The outrage expressed by citizens and lawmakers alike should compel a thorough overhaul of oversight and accountability measures, especially in these blue states where sanctuary policies are constructed to enable and encourage this type of large-scale theft.
Vincent Cavaleri
Mill Creek Councilman
COMMENTARY DISCLAIMER: The views and comments expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Lynnwood Times nor any of its affiliates.
Author: Lynnwood Times Contributor
