(The Center Square) – The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are on the ground in Minneapolis actively investigating suspected sites of fraud.
This is in the wake of multiple high-profile fraud cases that have gained national attention and include investigations into the misuse of state taxpayer funding and federal COVID-19 relief dollars.
“Homeland Security Investigations @ICEGov are on the ground in Minneapolis right now conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud,” said Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Monday. “More coming.”
Noem and the DHS posted multiple videos on social media of agents going door to door of the suspected fraud sites and gathering information from other local businesses on the sites.
“The American people deserve answers on how their taxpayer money is being used and ARRESTS when abuse is found,” said DHS in a Monday post on social media.
The firestorm first broke about the Minneapolis fraud cases following the release of reports in late November which alleged that millions of taxpayer dollars had been fraudulently stolen from the Minnesota welfare system and then sent to the Somali-based terror group Al-Shabaab.
That was according to original reporting from Chris Rufo and Ryan Thorpe that was published in City Journal. It detailed how, throughout the fall, the then-acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joe Thompson, was investigating several different cases of fraud in the state. At that time, Thompson called it a “crisis.”
Much of that attention has been focused on reports of fraud among the city’s significant Somalian population. Since then, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation into the fraud.
Last week, conservative influencer jessica.waters@daltoncitizen.composted a viral video that claimed to uncover $110 million in fraud at child care centers in the state.
Many Republicans picked up on the story, including some in the Trump administration. FBI Director Kash Patel said he is surging resources to the state.
“Fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide,” Patel said on Sunday. “The FBI believes this is just the tip of a very large iceberg.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, pushed back against the allegations. His office said Walz has been actively cracking down on crime and strengthening oversight.
The federal investigations are ongoing.
