In a story that reads like a twisted screenplay blending entitlement, exploitation, and federal negligence, new investigative reporting reveals that members of Minnesota’s Somali community have allegedly defrauded American taxpayers out of billions—yes, with a b—in a sprawling web of fraud that has not only enriched individuals domestically, but, according to sources, may have funded Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked terror group operating in Somalia.
heres life in minnesota in 2025
1. my tax dollars fund afcom
2. afcom fights al shabaab
3. the war makes refugees
4. my tax dollars fund refugees
5. refugees defraud my state to fund al shabaab
6. afcom funding goes up and the cycle repeats https://t.co/cLiAzC5oOf— eigenrobot (@eigenrobot) November 20, 2025
At the center of this story is Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota nonprofit ostensibly created to provide food to low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, federal prosecutors allege it operated a brazen scheme to siphon off $250 million in federal funds. According to the DOJ, 77 individuals have been charged so far. Out of 53 names reviewed in a jury conviction report, just two were non-Somali. It’s not speculation. It’s not stereotype. It’s simply numbers.
But that’s only the beginning.
The scope of the abuse appears systemic. From Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services to Autism Services, prosecutors have uncovered layer upon layer of fraudulent activity involving the same networks, the same names, and the same loopholes. DOJ officials describe it as a “web” of interconnected scams—some stacked upon others—draining public coffers intended to help the vulnerable. One alleged perpetrator, Asha Farhan Hassan, is accused of participating in two separate fraud schemes, including one involving falsified autism diagnoses to collect millions in Medicaid reimbursements.
And where does the money go?
According to City Journal’s report, citing federal counterterrorism sources, millions of these stolen funds were funneled overseas via informal clan-based financial networks known as hawalas. Their destination? Somalia. And more specifically, to the hands of Al-Shabaab—a group known for suicide bombings, assassinations, and its brutal Islamist regime. One source even claimed: “The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”
Minnesota, home to the largest Somali diaspora in the U.S., is ground zero. With 40% of Somali households receiving remittances from abroad—totaling $1.7 billion in 2023—the potential for redirected fraud dollars is massive. And yet, because this community constitutes a critical voting bloc, especially for Democrats in Minneapolis, accountability has been nearly non-existent. Politicians like Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose own staff publicly supported Feeding Our Future, are now entangled by association. One accused fraudster even worked as a senior aide to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
On the left is the least corrupt countries in the world. On the right is the most corrupt countries in the world.
Maybe not all people and cultures are the same. And, crazy, I know, but maybe we should have an immigration regime that takes this into account. https://t.co/x1R3kFyJJF pic.twitter.com/2s3bkxfXWV
— Lomez (@L0m3z) November 20, 2025
When state officials began scrutinizing the suspicious ballooning of nonprofit activities during the pandemic, Feeding Our Future played the now-familiar card: accusations of racism. As former Minnesota state senator David Gaither noted, this tactic keeps moderates and center-left voices silent, paralyzed by fear of being labeled discriminatory—even in the face of criminal activity.
Why does this matter?
Because this is not a fringe issue. According to former FBI sources cited in the report, at least 28 large-scale fraud rings have surfaced since Governor Tim Walz took office in 2019—most involving members of the Somali community. One Somali-American former investigator, Kayseh Magan, admitted as much in 2024, writing, “Nearly all of the defendants in the cases I’ve listed are from my community.”
