A Republican candidate in Minnesota is sounding the alarm over a growing scandal that he says could dwarf the corruption of the 1970s.
The accusation targets Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and his administration’s handling of a massive welfare fraud scheme tied to members of Minnesota’s Somali community.
The allegation comes from Dr. Scott Jensen, a GOP gubernatorial candidate who says Walz may have hidden critical details about a billion-dollar abuse of taxpayer funds.
He argued the scandal could be far more serious than the famous Watergate cover-up.
“There’s something far more nefarious than simply covering something up,” Jensen told Fox News. He suggested elected officials may have participated in a pay-to-play scheme.
Federal prosecutors confirmed that scammers in Minnesota’s Somali diaspora stole more than $1 billion meant for struggling families, malnourished children and autism patients.
Officials say fake companies billed the state for services that were never provided. The money was allegedly redirected into luxury homes, high-end cars, vacations and shopping sprees.
Jensen said Walz’s administration knew of the fraud early but chose to delay serious intervention. He pushed back against Walz’s claim that the state acted quickly.
“They’ve made claims that as soon as they learned about it, they got the FBI involved,” Jensen said. “That’s not true.”
Photos have surfaced of Walz posing with Somali activist Abdul Dahir Ibrahim, who was arrested Friday in connection with the scheme. Homeland Security officials identified him as a refugee who had also been convicted in Canada of welfare fraud.
The Department of Homeland Security wrote that he had “been linked to Minnesota’s top sanctuary politicians.”
The Biden administration previously refused to comment on Ibrahim’s case, according to the Daily Mail.
But with President Donald Trump now in office, federal officials are moving fast. U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller called the Minnesota situation the “biggest theft of taxpayer dollars in U.S. history.” He added that the scandal will “shock the American people.”
Trump responded to the scandal by ending Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota.
The announcement triggered immediate arrests, including Ibrahim. The Department of Homeland Security posted “Bye-bye, Abdul” as authorities detained him.
Jensen believes more details will surface that may implicate Minnesota officials. He said the public must know whether state leaders knowingly allowed fake welfare companies to operate.
“Is there some pay-to-play scheme we haven’t yet been informed about?” Jensen asked. “That’s what’s really frightening.”
Federal investigators say they are only at the beginning of uncovering the fraud network. IRS investigator Justin Campbell called it the “epitome of greed.”
Walz defended his administration by blaming criminals who took advantage of Minnesota’s generous programs.
“The programs are set up to improve people’s lives, and in many cases, the criminals find the loopholes,” Walz told The New York Times.
Trump said Minnesota has become a hub for “fraudulent money laundering activity” and warned that the country is at a tipping point. He argued that strict enforcement and deportation policies are the only way to stop taxpayer exploitation.
Jensen says that if the governor ignored warning signs, Minnesota voters deserve answers. He believes the scandal will become a defining issue in the state’s political future.
