Governor of Minnesota Faces Criticism Over Child Care Fraud Allegations
“Tim Walz [sic] The governor of Minnesota is a crooked governor!!!” the president tweeted.
This remark came after Walz accused the president of “politicizing” fraud claims when the Department of Health and Human Services halted child care payments following an alarming report by citizen journalist Nick Shirley.
Shirley visited various child care centers in Minnesota, which reportedly received substantial federal funding, and noted the absence of children during these visits. One center even had a typo in its name, listing itself as “Quality Learning Center” instead of just “Learning.”
Jim O’Neill, HHS Deputy Secretary, detailed the actions being taken by HHS on X, highlighting “serious allegations that the state of Minnesota funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent child care centers over the past decade.”
1. Implemented Expenditure Protection System for all ACF [Administration for Children and Families] payments. Starting today, all ACF payments in the U.S. will need valid proof, like receipts, before funds are issued to the state.
2. Alex Adams and I have pinpointed certain individuals, including @nickshirley for his excellent work. I’ve asked @TimWalz for a thorough audit of these centers, encompassing attendance records, licenses, and complaint histories.
3. A hotline and email for reporting fraud have been set up at: childcare.gov. We encourage everyone—parents, healthcare providers, and the public—to share any information.
In a subsequent post, President Trump claimed that undocumented Somali immigrants are largely to blame for the fraud in Minnesota.
“Many fraud cases in Minnesota, up to 90%, involve individuals who entered the country illegally from Somalia. ‘Congresswoman’ Omar is among the many scammers—just a perpetual complainer who never contributes,” he commented.
He further questioned, “Did she really marry her brother? These terrible individuals are just a liability to our nation’s greatness. We should send them back to Somalia, perhaps the most corrupt country in existence. Make America great again!!!”
In another post, President Trump suggested that the scale of fraud in California might even surpass that of Minnesota.
“If it’s even possible, California has more fraud than Minnesota. When you factor in election fraud, they’re neck-and-neck. Two corrupt governors, two corrupt states!” he concluded.
