Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reportedly received nearly $10,000 in campaign contributions from donors connected to Somali-operated daycare centers in his state, according to campaign finance filings outlined in a new report.
Walz, whose administration has been accused of allowing fraud totaling millions of dollars in the state, received checks from Democrat donors involved in the Somali daycare centers and home health services, companies that in many cases do not appear to be open for business, reported the Washington Examiner on Thursday.
For example, the one-time vice presidential nominee's 2022 gubernatorial reelection campaign received $1,000 from Mohamed Rabi, of Hiawatha Adult Day Care Center.
The center does not have its own website, but third-party sites based in New Jersey list the facility as being located on Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis within a strip mall and occupying commercial sites next to African Immigrants Community Services, a refugee resettlement program that helps East African immigrants get public benefits.
The Hiawatha Senior Center is registered with the Minnesota Department of Education as a child nutrition organization and gets reimbursements for meals and snacks purportedly served at the center through the state's Child and Adult Food Care Program, which is federally funded.
Walz also got $1,000 in 2021 from Khadar Jama, of Open Hearts Home Health Care of Minneapolis.
The at-home care provider has the same address as a listed location, Caring Home Health, a company tracing back to a three-bedroom residential home.
Caring Home Health, which is Somali-owned, is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health as an assisted living facility and was flagged in 2024 for several safety violations, according to an inspection report.
In 2018, when Walz first ran for governor, his campaign got $2,250 from Abdiwadi Husen, of Minnesota Quality Care, and $500 from Nazneen Khatoon, of Best Care Home Health Care.
Best Care came under investigation in 2023 for suspected neglect of a vulnerable adult.
The incident involved a member of the center's staff smoking marijuana during one patient's medical appointment and driving the client home while under the influence.
That year, a judge found that Best Care improperly collected $2.23 million in Minnesota Health Care Program funds and ordered the organization to pay a penalty for the overpayments.
The company also faced accusations in civil court of overcharging the federal government or fraudulently billing for services not performed.
In a separate 2002 case, the U.S. government filed a civil suit against the company for allegedly submitting false Medicare reimbursement claims.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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