Pam Bondi Says Somali Fraud Cases in Minnesota Are Just Beginning

Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stern warning Monday afternoon: the prosecutions tied to massive fraud in Minnesota much of it linked to the state’s Somali community are just getting started.

Bondi praised independent journalist Nick Shirley, whose viral exposé of empty, taxpayer-funded daycare centers in the Twin Cities has reignited scrutiny of what may be one of the largest welfare fraud schemes in U.S. history.

“MINNESOTA FRAUD: [Nick Shirley]’s work has helped show Americans the scale of fraud in Tim Walz’s Minnesota,” Bondi posted on X. “@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!”

Shirley’s 42-minute investigative video shows him visiting several so-called daycare centers that had received millions in taxpayer funds. Most appeared empty, with blacked-out windows, locked doors, or staff who refused to answer questions. One location featured a woman falsely warning that Shirley was with ICE to prevent others from opening the door.

“We uncovered over $110,000,000 in ONE day,” Shirley wrote. “It’s time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable.”

The numbers are staggering:

• $110 million in apparent fraud uncovered in a single day of field reporting

• 98 individuals charged so far, mostly connected to Somali-run operations

• More than 60 guilty verdicts already secured

• Billions in potential total fraud losses across Minnesota programs since 2018

FBI Director Kash Patel echoed Bondi’s comments, saying his agency has surged resources into Minnesota and that what we’re seeing now is “only the beginning.”

The fraud spans daycare, healthcare, housing assistance, and non-emergency medical transport. In one case, a “Quality Learing Center” (complete with a misspelled sign) billed for 99 children and received millions yet appeared entirely inactive.

In response, Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth and Families attempted damage control. Commissioner Tikki Brown claimed that all locations visited in the video had passed random inspections and had children present at some point in the past six months. She also questioned whether Shirley visited during operating hours.

“When were the videos taken? Were they during times that the center was scheduled to be open?” Brown asked. “Were they during the weekend?”

That response didn’t sit well with taxpayers or lawmakers who now wonder why it took a 23-year-old journalist with a camera to expose what an entire state bureaucracy either missed or ignored.

Here’s what this scandal proves:

• Oversight in Minnesota under Gov. Tim Walz has been a catastrophic failure

• Political fear of being called “racist” or “Islamophobic” allowed fraud to thrive

• Ordinary Americans are paying the price as billions vanish from public programs

Pam Bondi’s message is crystal clear: this is far from over. More arrests are coming. More fraud will be exposed. And the politicians who enabled it are on notice.

If ever there were a case for accountability at the state and federal level this is it.

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