2020s Minnesota fraud scandals

Last updated

A series of fraud scandals and allegations concerning federal funds to Minnesota state-administered social services programs occurred during the 2020s. The largest and earliest case is the Feeding Our Future case, in which more than 50 people have been convicted since charges were brought in 2022. Feeding Our Future was a nonprofit that claimed to provide meals to schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contents

Amid ongoing investigation into the Feeding Our Future case, potential fraud was identified and investigated in a number of other state-run social services schemes, including emergency housing, autism therapy for children, home health assistance, and Medicaid. State lawmakers passed some bipartisan anti-fraud measures in the 2025 Minnesota legislative session. [1] By late 2025, Minnesota had shut down its housing stabilization system and paused payments in 14 Medicaid programs, including autism therapy, while launching an audit. [2]

In December 2025, a viral video by right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley, which includes limited evidence for the allegations, ignited new allegations of social services frauds at Somali-American daycare centers and health care companies. [3] Nick Shirley previously built a following with anti-immigrant videos. [4] The Trump Administration froze all federal childcare payments to Minnesota, and new state and federal investigations and legal proceedings were initiated in response to the video's publicity. [5] Citing a lack of time and a need to focus on his work, Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota who had been seeking re-election in 2026, withdrew his bid for a third term. He noted that Shirley was a "conspiracy theorist," and criticized "Republican opportunists" willing to "hurt our people to score a few cheap points". [6]

Feeding Our Future

In 2022, during the Biden administration, federal prosecutors filed charges against the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which had received federal funding to distribute meals to children. Prosecutors said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Feeding Our Future had committed fraud worth over $250 million, submitting fraudulent meal sheets to receive funding. [7] The Minnesota Department of Education, which was responsible for distributing funds, had found irregularities in the group's paperwork as early as 2020. [8]

Following initial rejections, Feeding Our Future sued the agency and threatened to accuse it of racism. After the legal threats, the agency resumed funding. [8] The nonpartisan state legislative auditor's office later found that the threats had affected the agency's judgment. An investigator from the state's fraud investigation office (who was himself Somali) said that concerns over being portrayed as racist made the Walz administration reluctant to pursue fraud allegations. [8]

Although the Minnesota Department of Education, responsible for monitoring the school meal program, had repeatedly tried to cut off funds, the organization was not shut down until FBI raids and the federal indictments. [9] [10] As of late 2025, out of 78 suspects indicted in the fraud, more than 50 had pleaded guilty. [11] Another seven were found guilty at trial, including the leader of the scheme, Aimee Bock, while many others awaited trial. As most perpetrators, excluding Bock, were Somali Americans, the scandal resulted in increased political attention on the community, including from the subsequent second Trump administration. [12]

Merrick Garland, attorney general during the Biden administration, called it the country's largest pandemic relief fraud scheme. [13]

2025 developments

In January, Walz announced a task force to combat fraud, saying that his administration "had a culture of being a little too trusting". [14] State lawmakers passed some bipartisan anti-fraud measures in the 2025 Minnesota legislative session. [1] In October 2025, Walz's administration ordered that 14 "high-risk" Medicaid programs be audited and paused for up to 90 days "only if anomalies are found". Shireen Ghandi, the temporary Minnesota DHS commissioner, wrote to the federal government that these programs had been identified due to "vulnerabilities, evidence of fraudulent activity, or data analytics that revealed potentially suspicious patterns, claim anomalies, or outliers". [15]

Joseph H. Thompson, Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota from June to October 2025; Thompson continued to be involved in fraud investigations following his term Joseph H. Thompson Acting US Attorney District of Minnesota (cropped).jpg
Joseph H. Thompson, Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota from June to October 2025; Thompson continued to be involved in fraud investigations following his term

In July, Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson told KSTP that fraud in Minnesota public programs exceeded $1 billion in ongoing investigations. [16] In November 2025, The New York Times reported that federal prosecutors had found more than $1 billion of fraud in three separate schemes. [8] Earlier exposés of fraud in COVID-19–era child-feeding programs and other safety-net benefits had largely been treated as one-off crimes. According to prosecutors, multiple front companies were registered to participate in state and federal programs and successfully billed for services that were never delivered. [8]

On November 19, conservative magazine City Journal alleged that some of the stolen funds had been sent abroad to fund the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The magazine cited three law enforcement officials, two of whom were anonymous. [17] The single official named as a source in the article later claimed to have been misquoted and disputed the allegation. [18] Two days later, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would revoke the Temporary Protected Status of Somalis residing in Minnesota, writing, "Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State." This was condemned by leaders of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Among them was U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, who argued that targeting a single state by revoking such statuses was illegal. [19]

In December, Thompson alleged that among 14 different "high-risk" Medicaid programs run by the state, which provided $18 billion in funding since 2018, fraudulent payouts consisted of "half or more" of all funding. He further alleged that fraud had become so rampant in Minnesota that it attracted "fraud tourists" from outside the state, citing two Pennsylvania men who traveled to the state to enroll their companies in the state's Housing Stabilization Services program and subsequently filed fraudulent claims totaling $3.5 million. Thompson also said there was no evidence to support the direct transfer of state funds to Al-Shabaab, but that it could have indirectly acquired some of the money by taxing businesses in Somalia. [20] As of December 2025, 82 out of 92 suspects indicted in the related Minnesota fraud cases were Somali American, according to the US Attorney's Office. [21]

YouTube video

Nick Shirley, who filmed the viral video alleging fraud at Somali-ran daycare centers Nick Shirley during a White House round-table event.jpg
Nick Shirley, who filmed the viral video alleging fraud at Somali-ran daycare centers

Right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley, who has created anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim videos in the past, posted a viral video in which he claimed to find widespread fraud at Somali-run child care centers. [22] [3] The video, which includes limited evidence for the creator’s allegations, received over 135 million views on Twitter and 3 million on YouTube, [23] [24] and led the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to launch an investigation into fraud connected with Minnesota Somali-run daycare centers. [25] [26]

Shirley's video showed him conducting site visits to facilities that appeared empty or inactive, interviewing bystanders who said they had not seen children at the locations, and citing public payment records. [27] [28] At the Quality Learning Center, Shirley cited locked doors, a misspelled sign, and a nearly empty parking lot. A bystander told him he had never seen children at the facility. Police were called on Shirley twice during the video. At one health care complex, a woman told a responding officer that Shirley was "trying to assume because they're Somalian providers everyone here is fraudulent." Shirley told police he was "checking rates" for health and child care. Officers escorted him out of the building. [29]

The video was recorded by Shirley alongside David Hoch, a registered lobbyist for the Minnesotans for Responsible Government group and former Resource Party politician. [30] [31] [32] Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth said the Republican caucus had been "working with Nick Shirley and agency whistleblowers" to hold Governor Walz "accountable" and State Representative Harry Niska said the party had provided information to David Hoch. [33] [34] Hoch told CNN he obtained the information from publicly available websites, not from Republican politicians. [3]

Minnesota childcare workers Umi Hassan and Ahmed Hasan said that Shirley's video was politically motivated. [35] [36] [37] Quality Learning Center manager Ibrahim Ali said the video was dishonest and asked him: "Are you trying to record that we're doing fraud, or are you trying to put the Somali name and fraud in the same sentence?" [38] [39] He said the video was recorded outside operating hours; the center is open Monday through Thursday from 2 to 10 p.m., and he alleged Shirley arrived around 11 a.m. Ali said the center serves 50 to 80 children daily and employs about 25 people. "There's no fraud going on whatsoever", Ali said. [38] Mini Childcare Center manager Ayan Jama said that Shirley had visited the facility early in the morning, before it opened at noon. She said that the facility had received a bomb threat, which police confirmed, and that a suspect attempted to break into the facility. Jama asked Shirley, "Why not come during operating hours?" and said, "This is a targeted attack on our community." [40] [41] [42]

Shirley defended his videos, saying, "fraud is fraud—it doesn't matter if it's a Black person, White person, Asian person, Mexican...and we work too hard simply just to be paying taxes and enabling fraud to be happening". [29] In response to media coverage of his Minnesota fraud video, Shirley wrote on X: "I am not an enemy of the people, they are", referring to mainstream media. [43]

Government response

FBI director Kash Patel said: "the FBI believes this is just the tip of a very large iceberg. We will continue to follow the money and protect children, and this investigation very much remains ongoing." [44] The Department of Homeland Security announced its own investigation into alleged fraud, while Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler suspended agency funding to Minnesota to "investigate $430 million in suspected PPP fraud across the state." [3]

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O'Neill announced a freeze on $185 million in federal child care funding to Minnesota. [3] On December 31, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it would be freezing child care funding for all fifty states until each state could "prove they are being spent legitimately." [45]

Investigations

KSTP reported that the Minnesota Department of Human Services's Office of the Inspector General had 62 active investigations into child care centers in the state's Child Care Assistance Program. [46]

Five of the ten child care centers featured in Shirley's video had operated as meal distribution sites for Feeding Our Future, receiving nearly $5 million between 2018 and 2021. None of the five had been accused of wrongdoing in the Feeding Our Future case, in which 78 people were charged and more than 50 convicted. [47] [48]

Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said officials "do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously" while questioning "some of the methods that were used in the video". [3] She said all the day care centers in the video had been inspected within the previous six months, and that children were present during those inspections. Brown said ongoing investigations into several of the centers had not uncovered evidence of fraud. [49] Brown said two centers had closed, including Quality Learning Center, whose sign misspelled "Learning" as "Learing". [49] A DCYF spokeswoman later said Quality Learning Center had notified the state it planned to close but then reversed that decision; the department also clarified that the second center, Mako Childcare Center, had closed in 2022. [50] [51]

State records showed Sweet Angel Child Care had an unannounced inspection on December 4, 2025; a CBS News review found safety and cleanliness violations but no evidence of fraud. [36] On December 30, journalists from the Minnesota Star Tribune visited all 10 child care centers featured in Shirley's video. They found children inside four facilities that allowed them entry, including "about 50" at Minnesota Child Care Center. The remaining six were either closed or did not open their doors. [52]

A KSTP review of state licensing records found all the facilities Shirley visited had active licenses except for two that appeared to be permanently closed. The records showed the centers had between three and 10 safety violations; licensing records do not document fraud allegations or attendance. [53] On December 31, KSTP observed "a steady stream of kids and parents" at Quality Learning Center. [53] At the state-licensed ABC Learning Center, security camera footage shared with CBS News purported to show "various people throughout the day dropping off young children" on the same day Shirley had visited and said it was empty. [36] At another center, a CNN camera crew filmed caregivers arriving with children while interviewing Shirley outside; he dismissed them as "showing face". [54]

Reactions

Vice President JD Vance shared Shirley's video, writing that he had "done far more useful journalism than any of the winners of the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes." [55] Elon Musk also shared the video. [3] Republican representative Tom Emmer said he was calling for "the denaturalization and deportation of every Somali engaged in fraud in Minnesota". [39] President Trump also "signaled an interest in increasing his deportation efforts in the state by focusing on Somali immigrants" earlier in December. [56]

Democratic leader Richard Carlbom alleged that Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth had "admitted" that "Minnesota Republicans chose to partner with a YouTube conspiracy theorist". State Senator Erin Murphy expressed concern that Shirley's video put the state's child care industry at risk. [34]

A number of Minnesota child care employees reported receiving threatening phone calls after the video's publication. [35] [36] KMSP reported that some day care workers felt harassed by the calls they received. [57] Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said that he had received reports of Somali-run "daycare providers being harassed and accused of fraud with little to no fact-checking" in his state. [58] [59] Police in Columbus, Ohio, responded to at least three reports of people attempting to visit Somali-immigrant operated daycare centers. Mayor Andrew Ginther called it a "trend" of trespassing and harassment and warned residents to report any more unlawful behavior. [60] [61] [62] [63]

Nokomis Daycare Center in Minneapolis, which was not among the facilities featured in Shirley's video, [64] reported a break-in on December 30. Manager Nasrulah Mohamed said documents related to children and employees were stolen and attributed the incident to backlash from the video. He said the center had reported the incident to police and continued to receive threatening messages. [65]

Tim Walz's response

Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota since 2019 TimWalz2025.jpg
Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota since 2019

Governor Tim Walz faced criticism following the November controversy, with the editorial board of The Washington Post accusing him of "refusing to take accountability". [66] Since the scandal, political analyst Ember Reichgott Junge has said that Walz's reelection (and potential future presidential) prospects have dimmed. [56] Polling showed Walz's approval rating at its lowest since the beginning of his second term. [67]

Members of the Minnesota Legislature's Republican caucus called on Walz to resign. Walz responded by saying that he had "strengthened oversight", citing his creation of an anti-fraud task force and investigations already launched by his office into several sites, including one featured in Shirley's video. [68] His office and the state attorney also disputed federal claims that overall fraud losses were $9 billion. [69]

On December 31, 2025, he was invited to testify alongside a group of Republican state legislators at the Oversight Commmittee of the U.S. House. [70] The Washington Examiner reported that Walz had received "nearly $10,000 in campaign contributions from supporters connected to Somali-operated day care centers". [71]

Walz said the Trump administration was "politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans". [36] On December 29, Walz said, "This is what happens when they scapegoat and this is what then happens when they no longer hide the idea of white supremacy." [72]

On January 5, 2026, Tim Walz announced he would not seek re-election due to the fraud scandal. According to an official statement by him, "[e]very minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences." The withdrawal was a surprise, given Walz did not face any major primary challengers and had previously announced he intended to seek re-election. [73]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Berkel, Jessie Van (2025-06-12). "Minnesota bolsters oversight of autism and housing programs amid fraud concerns". Archived from the original on 2025-09-24. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  2. ↑ Faircloth, Ryan (29 October 2025). "State halts payments in 14 Medicaid programs over fraud, orders audit". Minnesota Star Tribune.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sottlle, Zoe; Rose, Andy; Lybrand, Holmes; Mascarenhas, Lauren (2025-12-30). "Trump administration freezes child care payments to Minnesota amid federal investigation into alleged fraud". CNN. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  4. ↑ Valdez, Jonah (2025-12-31). "Right-Wing YouTuber Behind Viral Minnesota Fraud Video Has Long Anti-Immigrant History". The Intercept. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  5. ↑ "Trump administration says it's halting federal child care payments to Minnesota after viral fraud claims". NBC News. 2025-12-31. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  6. ↑ "Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he is dropping re-election bid". NBC News. 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  7. ↑ Walsh, Joe (December 4, 2025). "What to know about Minnesota fraud allegations, as Trump levels attacks on Walz". CBS News . Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Londoño, Ernesto (November 29, 2025). "How Fraud Swamped Minnesota's Social Services System on Tim Walz's Watch". The New York Times . Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  9. ↑ Derosier, Alex (2024-10-20). "Feeding Our Future fraud led to new grant controls, little progress recovering stolen money". Twin Cities Pioneer Press . Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  10. ↑ Smith, Kelly (2024-06-13). "Report: Minnesota Department of Education's 'inadequate oversight' of Feeding Our Future opened door to fraud". Minnesota Star Tribune . Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  11. ↑ Nelson, Sarah (24 November 2025). "Shakopee man sentenced to 10 years in Feeding Our Future fraud case". Minnesota Star Tribune.
  12. ↑ Winter, Deena; Walsh, James; Minor, Nathaniel (26 November 2025). "Minnesota Somali community grapples with fraud cases while pushing back against stereotypes". Minnesota Star Tribune.
  13. ↑ Londoño, Ernesto (29 November 2025). "How Fraud Swamped Minnesota's Social Services System on Tim Walz's Watch". New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  14. ↑ Ferguson, Dana (January 3, 2025). "Tougher penalties, AI technology at center of Gov. Tim Walz plan to combat fraud". Minnesota Public Radio . Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  15. ↑ Griffeth, Michelle. "Walz implements audits for 14 'high-risk' Medicaid programs • Minnesota Reformer". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Knudsen, Cory (23 July 2025). "US attorney says Minnesota government fraud could exceed $1 billion". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  17. ↑ Thorpe, Ryan; Rufo, Christopher F. "Minnesota Welfare Fraud: Some Funds Went to Al-Shabaab". City Journal. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  18. ↑ Winter, Deena (29 December 2025). "Key source says story that prompted Trump tirade against Somalis is erroneous". Star Tribune.
  19. ↑ Chen, Alyssa (24 November 2025). "Minnesota DFL leaders respond to Trump's attacks on Somali Minnesotans • Minnesota Reformer". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  20. ↑ Griffith, Michelle; Chen, Alyssa (18 December 2025). "U.S. Attorney: Fraud likely exceeds $9 billion in Minnesota-run Medicaid services • Minnesota Reformer". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  21. ↑ "Key questions about Minnesota's fraud schemes and the billions in losses". AP News. 2025-12-19. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  22. ↑ "Director of Minnesota day care featured in YouTube video on fraud responds". CBS Minnesota. December 30, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  23. ↑ Gold, Hadas (2025-12-30). "Who is Nick Shirley, the 23-year-old MAGA journalist whose Minnesota fraud story went viral? | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  24. ↑ Smith, Cory (2 January 2026). "Nick Shirley defends his childcare fraud claims amid scrutiny of viral video". WBFF. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Sottile, Zoe; Rose, Andy; Lybrand, Holmes (2025-12-30). "First, a viral video. Then a 'surge' of federal resources to investigate alleged child care fraud in Minnesota". CNN. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  26. ↑ DESK, KRISTINE FRAZAO | THE NATIONAL NEWS (2025-12-29). "DHS on the ground in Minnesota following fraud allegations in now viral video". KOMO. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  27. ↑ Treisman, Rachel (2025-12-31). "What to know about Nick Shirley, the YouTuber alleging daycare fraud in Minnesota". NPR . Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  28. ↑ Meitrodt, Jeffrey; Winter, Deena (2025-12-29). "What to know about Nick Shirley's video alleging fraud in Minnesota". Star Tribune . Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  29. 1 2 Valdez, Jonah (2025-12-31). "Right-Wing YouTuber Behind Viral Minnesota Fraud Video Has Long Anti-Immigrant History". The Intercept. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  30. ↑ Sweet, Jacqueline (2026-01-03). "Unnamed Source in Viral Minnesota Somali Fraud Video Is Right-Wing Lobbyist Who Called Muslims "Demons"". The Intercept. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  31. ↑ "Meet 'David,' the man who spirited Nick Shirley around to Somali-run day cares". Minnesota Star Tribune.
  32. ↑ Ogden, Sean (2026-01-03). "Saturday Hashtag: #FabricatedGOPOutrage". WhoWhatWhy. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  33. ↑ "Top Minnesota Republican: GOP caucus steered YouTuber Nick Shirley to day care sites". The Hill.
  34. 1 2 Wermus, Katie (2025-12-31). "Minnesota GOP worked with YouTuber on child care fraud viral video". FOX 9. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  35. 1 2 Quttaineh, Raya (2025-12-30). "'We're serving the children' | A look inside a Minneapolis child care center accused of fraud in now-viral video". kare11.com. Retrieved 2025-12-31.[ dead link ]
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 Wight, Conor (2025-12-30). "Director of Minnesota day care featured in YouTube video on fraud responds - CBS Minnesota". CBS News . Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  37. ↑ Wight, Conor (2025-12-30). "Director of Minnesota day care featured in YouTube video on fraud responds - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  38. 1 2 Quttaineh, Raya (2025-12-29). "Minneapolis daycare denies fraud allegations after viral video draws national attention". kare11.com. Retrieved 2025-12-31.[ dead link ]
  39. 1 2 Frazao, Kristine (2025-12-30). "GOP Rep calls for Somali Americans involved in fraud to have citizenship revoked". KATV. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  40. ↑ "Police investigating overnight burglary of Somali day care in south Minneapolis". Minnesota Star Tribune.
  41. ↑ "Day cares say they are unfairly punished over misleading Minnesota video". Yahoo News. 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  42. ↑ "Day cares say they are unfairly punished over misleading Minnesota video". The Washington Post. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  43. ↑ "Nick Shirley Blasts Mainstream Media as 'Enemy of the People' Over Criticism of His Viral Video Exposing Alleged Fraud". Yahoo News. 2025-12-31. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  44. ↑ Fields, Ashleigh (December 30, 2025). "Who is Nick Shirley, YouTuber who made viral Minnesota fraud video?". The Hill. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  45. ↑ "HHS freezing child care payments to all states until they prove funds 'being spent legitimately'". ABC 7. 31 December 2025.
  46. ↑ Baude, Emily (29 January 2025). "62 investigations underway involving federally-funded Minnesota child care centers". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  47. ↑ Winter, Deena; Meitrodt, Jeffrey (January 1, 2026). "We went to the day cares Nick Shirley did. Here's what we found". Star Tribune . Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Feeding Our Future: 78th person charged with fraud during pandemic scheme". Fox 9 . November 25, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  49. 1 2 Raguse, Lou (2025-12-29). "State commissioner responds to viral YouTuber video about Somali daycare fraud in Minneapolis". kare11.com. Retrieved 2025-12-31.[ dead link ]
  50. ↑ "Viral video prompts new scrutiny of alleged fraud, draws quick reaction from Minnesota regulators". Star Tribune . December 29, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  51. ↑ "FBI surged resources to Minnesota over day care fraud claims before video went viral, Patel says". NBC News. December 30, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  52. ↑ Winter, Deena; Meitrodt, Jeffrey (2026-01-01). "We went to the day cares Nick Shirley did. Here's what we found". Minnesota Star Tribune.
  53. 1 2 Raiche, Ryan; Reeve, Richard (2025-12-31). "Review of day care records finds safety violations but no mention of fraud, absence of kids". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  54. ↑ Treisman, Rachel (2025-12-31). "What to know about Nick Shirley, the YouTuber alleging daycare fraud in Minnesota". NPR. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  55. ↑ Allen, Mike; Bressner, Noah (2025-12-29). "YouTuber Nick Shirley gets FBI response to Minnesota fraud probe". Axios . Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  56. 1 2 Parnes, Amie (December 6, 2025). "Walz faces political jeopardy over Minnesota fraud controversy". The Hill . Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  57. ↑ Kim, Soyoung (2025-12-30). "Child care providers in Minneapolis under increased scrutiny respond". FOX 9. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  58. ↑ "AG Says Somali-Run Daycares in Washington State are Being Harassed After Viral Video Exposes Alleged Fraud". Dailyfly News. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  59. ↑ Hale, Erin. "Trump administration freezes Minnesota childcare funds over fraud claims". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  60. ↑ Behrens, Cole. "Columbus police responded to 3 calls at day cares amid fraud rumors". The Columbus Dispatch . Archived from the original on 2025-12-31. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  61. ↑ Mackey, Robert (31 December 2025). "Trump administration freezes childcare funding to Minnesota in wake of fraud scheme allegations". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  62. ↑ Helmore, Edward (29 December 2025). "FBI deploys more resources to Minnesota amid Trump's targeting of state". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  63. ↑ "Nick Shirley's mom goes on TV to defend son from criticism over fraud video report". The Independent. 31 December 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  64. ↑ "Day care in Minneapolis vandalized, and children's information stolen, after viral video purporting fraud". CBS Minnesota . December 31, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  65. ↑ Fields, Ashleigh (2025-12-31). "Minnesota day care center reports 'extensive vandalism,' blames YouTube video". The Hill . Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  66. ↑ "Tim Walz can't admit the downsides of too much welfare". The Washington Post. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  67. ↑ Knudsen, Cory (2025-12-17). "KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: Trump, Walz both below 50% approval in Minnesota". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  68. ↑ Moser, Riley; Grams, Ashley (December 29, 2025). "Group of Minnesota GOP legislators calls on Gov. Walz to resign amid fraud investigations". WCCO-TV . Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  69. ↑ Cummings, Caroline (December 20, 2025). "Walz, Minnesota officials question U.S. Attorney's Office claim that fraud could reach $9 billion". WCCO-TV . Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  70. ↑ Turtinen, Melissa (December 31, 2025). "Minnesota fraud: US House committee to hold hearings, Walz invited to testify". Fox 9 KMSP. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  71. ↑ Cathell, Mia (January 1, 2026). "Walz received $10K from donors tied to Somali-run day care centers". Washington Examiner.
  72. ↑ Moye, David (January 1, 2026). "'Give Me A Break Eric': CNN Host Has Had It Up To Here With Right-Wing Pundit". HuffPost . Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  73. ↑ "Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he is dropping re-election bid". NBC News. 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.