MINNESOTA’S $9 BILLION FRAUD SCANDAL: TERRORIST GROUP AL-SHABAAB AT CENTER OF THE EMBEZZLEMENT

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., has called for criminal prosecution of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and senior administration officials if whistleblower allegations of widespread fraud in the state are confirmed as true.

Emmer stated that the alleged fraud amounts to more than mere mismanagement and rises to the level of criminal conduct if state leaders knowingly allowed billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to be stolen.

“If Tim Walz knew — if these whistleblowers are confirmed as real and that what they’re saying can be documented — he should be prosecuted,” Emmer said. “Attorney General Keith Ellison should be prosecuted. Others within the administration should be prosecuted,” he added.

Emmer cited estimates of up to $9 billion in federal and state taxpayer money lost to fraud schemes in Minnesota, including funds allegedly funneled overseas to Somalia and a known terrorist group, al-Shabaab.

“You’re talking about $9 billion in U.S. taxpayer and Minnesota taxpayer money — by the way, millions of it going back to Somalia to a known terrorist group, al-Shabaab,” Emmer said. “It’s criminal.”

The House Majority Whip praised independent journalist Nick Shirley for uncovering fraud tied to Somali-run daycare centers, saying the investigation exposed more wrongdoing in a single day than the Walz administration has in years.

“Hats off to Nick Shirley and his colleague,” Emmer said. “He found more in one day than Tim Walz has found in seven years. And the reason? He was looking for it.”

Emmer accused Walz and his administration of ignoring warning signs while fraud continued unchecked.

“Tim Walz has been looking the other way, and his administration has been looking the other way while these people have been bilking billions out of Minnesota,” he said.

The Minnesota Republican noted that allegations of fraud at Somali daycare centers were already being investigated in 2017 and 2018 by then-Attorney General Lori Swanson, a Democrat. “She was investigating Somali daycare fraud back in 2017 and 2018, and she was prosecuting,” Emmer said.

Emmer stated that Swanson later lost the Democrat endorsement for governor to Walz in 2018, while Walz’s ally Ellison won the attorney general’s race. He added that Ellison centralized control over investigations after taking office: “Ellison said as soon as he became attorney general, there would be no more investigations without my express approval,” Emmer said. “And there haven’t been any investigations.”