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Tags: minnesota | fraud | tim walz | investigation | corruption | somali | daycares
OPINION

Minnesota Fraud Reflects on Government as Much as Somalis

Michael Dorstewitz By Wednesday, 31 December 2025 09:37 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

The discovery of billions of dollars of fraud in Minnesota, committed largely by the Somali community, has become America's most explosive story in recent days, despite legacy media's attempt to sweep it under the rug.

And as additional facts emerge, it's become more apparent that the fraud would never have reached the proportions that it has without the tacit approval of Gov. Tim Walz's administration.

Fraud is nothing new to Minnesota, where investigations first began springing up in 2013, and two years later, bogus daycare centers came under the microscope. But the story didn't reach its current fever pitch until the last couple of days.

Much of the attention was prompted by independent journalist Nick Shirley, after he published a 42-minute video exposé detailing nearly $10 billion in fraud committed by Somali-run businesses, including:

  • Nutrition programs
  • Housing assistance
  • Behavioral health services
  • Non-emergency medical transportation
  • Daycare centers

Nick Shirley, 23, was assisted by an older man named David, who was his initial source of the fraudulent activity.

David told Shirley that he got involved when a number of childcare centers sprang up near his office, but there were no children. He later noticed transportation services popping up — always with Somali drivers but no passengers.

Although Newsmax and a sprinkling of other news platforms reported on the activity in Minnesota, few if any legacy media outlets covered the alleged fraud, despite the gravity of the findings and the more than 130 million views of the Shirley video.

On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi congratulated Shirley's work and announced that the Justice Department was already hot on the case.

"MINNESOTA FRAUD: @NickShirleyy's work has helped show Americans the scale of fraud in Tim Walz's Minnesota," she began.

"@TheJusticeDept has been investigating this for months. So far, we have charged 98 individuals – 85 of Somali descent – and more than 60 have been found guilty in court."

Bondi closed with a warning: "We have more prosecutions coming… BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!"

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that it was freezing child care payments to Minnesota, and requiring photo evidence across the country in response to the fraud.

But it wasn't just federal taxpayers who've been robbed — the fraudsters made off with Minnesota taxpayer funds as well. The obvious question is, how did this escape the attention of the state government? The answer is that it may not have.

As Minnesota's attorney general, Keith Ellison is the state's top law enforcement official. However, he was reportedly caught on tape in 2021 pledging to help East African fraudsters charged in the $250 million "Feeding our Future" scandal in exchange for campaign donations.

And Walz actually criticized Nick Shirley's work, according to Brooke Shirley, his mother and an independent journalist herself. She appeared on Newsmax's "National Report" on Tuesday and gave the governor's reaction to the alleged fraud.

"Tim Walz knew this was going on," she said. "And instead of doing anything about it, he called people who are trying to call it out, like my son Nick Shirley, a white supremacist."

However, Walz may find himself criminally liable, according to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky.

"Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was warned about massive fraud in a pandemic food-aid program for children, yet he failed to act," Comer said. "Instead, whistleblowers who raised concerns faced retaliation. Because of Gov. Walz's negligence, criminals — including Somali terrorists — stole nearly $1 billion from the program while children suffered."

The Treasury Department is investigating Walz as well.

Brooke Shirley also appeared Monday on Newsmax's "Rob Schmitt Tonight" and said it wasn't just her son who was ignored by state officials. David, their local source and contact, was too.

"He's been dedicating, like, the past five years of his life to this," Shirley said. "He's been to lawmakers. He's been to the [state] Capitol. He's been to Gov. Walz's office. Nobody listens to him."

Maybe they'll start listening now that the DOJ, the Treasury Department, and the FBI are on the case.

The left likes to say, "diversity is our strength," but in truth, our strength is in our shared ideals, our shared traditions, and our shared experiences.

At this point it may be time to change Minnesota's nickname from "the Land of 10,000 Lakes" to "the Land of 10,000 Fakes" — fake daycares, fake medical facilities, fake transportation services, fake food programs, and so forth.

And that applies not only to the Somali fraudsters, but also to Minnesota's fake governor and fake attorney general.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He's also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


MichaelDorstewitz
The discovery of billions of dollars of fraud in Minnesota, committed largely by the Somali community, has become America's most explosive story in recent days, despite legacy media's attempts to sweep it under the rug.
minnesota, fraud, tim walz, investigation, corruption, somali, daycares, media
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2025-37-31
Wednesday, 31 December 2025 09:37 AM
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