Though there have been fraud investigations in Minnesota dating back several years, and which have netted dozens of convictions, the report last month from the Manhattan Institute’s Ryan Thorpe and Christopher Rufo alleging widespread Medicaid fraud that allegedly was used to help fund a foreign-based Somali terrorist group has gotten the attention of the Trump administration – and has outraged many Americans in the process.
It’s also shone an unflattering spotlight on Minnesota and its Democratic governor and possible 2028 presidential contender, Tim Walz, in another way, by revisiting the “Feeding Our Future” fraud scandal, where taxpayer money was fraudulently obtained under the pretense of feeding hungry children during the COVID-era lockdowns.
Instead, it was used to fund lavish lifestyles, the details of which were shared in a Thursday CBS News report:
From the story:
The files document a spending spree in which defendants, many of Somali descent, took taxpayer money meant to feed hungry children and used it to buy cars, property and jewelry. Videos show them popping champagne at an opulent Maldives resort. In a text message, one defendant boasts: “You are gonna be the richest 25 year old InshaAllah [God willing].”The documents feature exhibits from a recent federal trial, many of which are being made public by CBS News for the first time. The exhibits include:-A confirmation email for a stay in an overwater villa with a private pool at Radisson Blu Resort Maldives-Lakefront property in Minnesota-Receipts showing wire transfers to China and East Africa-First class tickets to Istanbul and Amsterdam-A 2021 Porsche Macan-Stacks of cash, texted between defendantsAt the sentencing of a defendant who used taxpayer funds for cars and the Maldives vacation, 24-year-old Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel admonished him, saying: “Where others saw a crisis and rushed to help, you saw money and rushed to steal.” He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $48 million in restitution for his role in the fraud scheme.
The DOJ described Nur as playing a “key role in the fraud scheme,” and noted that he “spent his fraud proceeds freely”:
Nur spent his fraud proceeds freely. Using the taxpayer money meant for needy kids, he purchased a 2021 Dodge Ram pickup truck for $64,000. Six weeks later, he purchased a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe for $35,000. Nur used fraud proceeds to take a honeymoon to the Maldives, where he stayed in a private villa. He also spent $30,000 in fraud proceeds to purchase jewelry in Dubai.[…]In June 2024, at the conclusion of his 7-week trial, Nur and others attempted to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash in exchange for a not guilty verdict. Nur and four others were indicted in a separate federal case for the juror bribery scheme. Nur has pled guilty in the juror bribery case and is pending sentencing in that case before United States District Judge David S. Doty. Today’s sentence does not reflect Nur’s attempt to bribe a juror; he will face an additional sentence in that case at a later date.
The layers on all of the Somali-linked fraud are still being peeled back and investigated, and there undoubtedly will be more developments to come. We’ll keep you posted.
– Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –
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