In a very exciting series of posts on X, Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that nearly 100 individuals have been charged as the Department of Justice (DOJ) cracks down on the massive amounts of fraud in Minnesota, and that the overwhelming majority of those caught and charged fraudsters are Somalis.
As background, reports of the Somali-connected fraud in Minnesota first started emerging as the “Feeding Our Future” program was investigated, with it coming out that fraudsters stole massive amounts of federal funding by pretending to serve meals to kids in need. Those early reports then led to more investigations, and now a bevy of programs, from childcare to aid for parents of autistic teens, being exposed as a way for Somali migrants to steal billions of taxpayer dollars.
So, to show that the Trump Administration is doing something about the infuriating scandal, AG Bondi, who has faced much criticism for not doing enough, took to X to note that the DOJ is investigating the fraud and is cracking down in a big way.
Beginning, she wrote, “MINNESOTA FRAUD: @NickShirleyyy ’s work has helped show Americans the scale of fraud in Tim Walz’s Minnesota. @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. We have more prosecutions coming…BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!”
Continuing, AG Bondi noted that the DOJ is working with other departments and agencies, such as the Treasury, to investigate and prosecute the massive fraud, and is already seeing some success in doing so. She wrote, “I am incredibly grateful to our U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen and @DMNnews for their dedicated and ongoing work to uncover this fraud and build strong cases against its perpetrators. Here are a few examples of the cases we have prosecuted with other federal partners like @SecScottBessent”
Building on that, she described what happened with the Feeding Our Future scam, writing, “Scam 1: FEEDING OUR FUTURE — THE LARGEST COVID-19 FRAUD CASE CHARGED IN THE COUNTRY – Claimed to serve children millions of free meals during COVID—few, if any, were ever fed – Submitted fake invoices and fake rosters of kids purportedly receiving meals – 78 defendants charged to date | 57 defendants convicted – 72 of the defendants are of Somalian descent | 5 defendants are currently fugitives in Africa – Millions of taxpayer dollars in fraud proceeds were sent overseas to East Africa and the Middle East -Ultimate price tag? $300-400 million.”
Adding to that, she noted that the scam’s ringleader had been caught and prosecuted, saying, “In August, we successfully secured the conviction of the Feeding Our Future scheme leader, Abdiaziz Shafii Farah. – Farah was sentenced to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay over $47 million in restitution”.
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She further noted, describing another ringleader of the scam and his prosecution, “And just last month, we sentenced Abdimijad Mohamed Nur — another key player in the Feeding Our Future scheme — to 10 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay millions in restitution”.
Still not done, AG Bondi described how Somalis had been caught trying to bribe jurors, saying, “Scam 2: JUROR BRIBERY Not unlike what you would see in the corrupt Somali judicial system, defendants in the Feeding Our Future case intimidated a cooperating defendant and attempted to bribe jurors – 3 defendants delivered a bag containing $120,000 in cash to a juror’s house the night before closing arguments – They promised more money if the juror voted to acquit all 7 trial defendants”.
Then, after further describing that scandal, she noted that the Somalis also stole from the autism aid program, writing, “Scam 3: AUTISM TREATMENT MEDICAID SCHEME -Many defendants from the Feeding Our Future scam also set up fake “autism clinics” -Parents in the Somali community reported their children diagnosed as autistic, brought them into daycares disguised as “clinics,” and received huge financial kickbacks -The state government program underwriting this scam was supposed to cost $20 million. Somehow, it ballooned to $200 million…at taxpayers’ expense”.
Describing one more scheme in which the Somalis engaged, Bondi wrote, “Scam 4: MEDICAID FRAUD -Fraudsters identified Minnesota’s Medication coverage program for Housing Stabilization Services – a program meant to help people with disabilities, senior citizens, and people with mental illnesses -Then, they started sham LLCs and began signing up drug addicts and others in halfway houses for services that were NEVER provided. -The program was supposed to cost $2.6 million per year – it exploded to $125 million per year”.
Concluding, she said, wrapping up her discussion of how the administration is taking this very seriously, “We are working hand-in-hand with partners like @SecScottBessent, @Sec_Noem, @SecretaryTurner, and @SecretaryLCD to continue unraveling this scheme – and we will continue charging and convicting those behind it. Thank you to @nickshirleyyy and local media in Minnesota for doing the kind of journalism that so many outlets used to do. The people of Minnesota deserve better.”
Watch CNN’s token conservative, Scott Jennings, demand Bondi start arresting lawmakers and government officials as well: