Major media outlets have largely overlooked the fraud scandal connected to Minnesota’s Medicaid system, even after Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson stated on December 18 that losses could total as much as $9 billion. Thompson described the alleged fraud as “industrial-scale,” and his earlier estimates suggested losses exceeding $2 million. Despite the seriousness of the claims, organizations like CNN, MS NOW, and NBC News have reported very little on the situation since that announcement, according to a review of Gravian’s records.
Thompson further indicated that he believes “more than half” of the $18 billion allocated to 14 programs in Minnesota represents fraud. He pointed out concerns in programs related to autism and housing services. Interestingly, since December 18, while news outlets have occasionally touched on Somalia and fraud, they rarely address the specific allegations of fraud within Minnesota. For instance, MS NOW recently discussed Trump’s administration policies but didn’t mention the Minnesota scandal, even while referencing Somalia and an issue termed “return fraud.” Similar patterns were noticed in CNN and NBC’s reporting as they focused on unrelated topics.
The conversation continued the following week with MS NOW addressing the scandal in their “Morning Joe” segment, though commentators largely framed it as a politically motivating issue for Republicans instead of a genuine dilemma. Host Jonathan Lemire suggested that this issue has captivated conservative media, including members of the Trump administration, while also questioning why it ranked as a priority. Analyst Mara Gay expressed concerns about the politicization of institutions like the Justice Department, remarking that it raises genuine doubts among the American public regarding trust in federal agencies. She highlighted that Somalis seem to be unfairly blamed, serving right-wing narratives.
Regarding the scale of the alleged fraud, Thompson estimated that around 50% of the $18 billion spent on identified Medicaid programs since 2018 could have been misappropriated. It’s significant to note that this supposed fraud parallels Somalia’s entire GDP of approximately $11.97 billion in 2024. In a related note, YouTuber Nick Shirley released a video demonstrating that numerous daycare centers in Minnesota, allegedly operated by Somalis, were without children, one of which supposedly received $4 million in taxpayer funding. His video gained substantial traction, being viewed over 115 million times on X, although major outlets like CNN and MS NOW had not reported on it by the end of the weekend.
In contrast, Fox News, Newsmax, and NewsNation have consistently covered both the scandal and Shirley’s findings.
