By Gloria Ogbonna
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday that federal prosecutors have charged 85 Somali nationals in connection with an extensive fraud scheme operating in Minnesota, signaling that the investigation is far from over and that additional prosecutions are imminent.
In a statement shared on X, Bondi credited citizen journalist Nick Shirley for helping expose what she described as the vast scale of fraud allegedly taking place in the state under the administration of Gov. Tim Walz (D).
According to Bondi, Shirley’s on-the-ground reporting brought national attention to suspicious activities involving federally funded programs, particularly those tied to childcare services.
“@NickShirleyyy’s work has helped show Americans the scale of fraud in Tim Walz’s Minnesota,” Bondi wrote. She added that the Department of Justice had been quietly investigating the matter for months before the issue gained widespread attention online. “So far, we have charged 98 individuals — 85 of Somali descent — and more than 60 have already been found guilty in court.”
Bondi concluded her post with a warning that the crackdown is accelerating. “We have more prosecutions coming… BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!” she wrote, suggesting that further indictments and revelations could soon follow.
The attorney general’s remarks came shortly after Shirley released a widely viewed video documenting his visits to several Minnesota daycare centers that were reportedly receiving millions of dollars in federal funding. Despite the substantial sums allocated to these facilities, Shirley’s footage appeared to show empty buildings with no visible children, staff, or regular activity during normal operating hours.
Breitbart News highlighted one particularly striking example from Shirley’s investigation. During a visit to the “Quality Learning Center” in South Minneapolis, Shirley pointed out that the word “learning” was misspelled as “learing” on the center’s sign — a detail that raised further questions about oversight, professionalism, and legitimacy.
As Shirley approached the building, an unidentified woman could be heard yelling, “Don’t open up,” while falsely accusing Shirley and his companion of being Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The encounter only added to the confusion and suspicion surrounding the site.
“There’s no one here,” Shirley remarked in the video, underscoring the apparent lack of activity at a facility allegedly funded to care for dozens of children.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel has since confirmed that the agency is actively engaged in the matter. In a previous statement, Patel said the FBI was “aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota” and emphasized that federal authorities had already taken action before the issue exploded online.
He noted that the FBI had surged personnel and investigative resources into the state to dismantle what he described as large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal assistance programs.
As the investigation continues, federal officials say the Minnesota case could become one of the most significant fraud prosecutions tied to misuse of government funding in recent years, with more charges expected in the weeks and months ahead.
Source: Breitbart
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