By Gloria Ogbonna
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has accused President Donald Trump of exploiting allegations of Somali immigrant-related fraud as a political weapon, arguing that the controversy is being used to justify policies that harm working families in his state.
In a strongly worded post on X, Walz responded to a Fox News report highlighting his earlier remarks in which he accused Trump of “politicizing” the issue of alleged fraud tied to childcare programs in Minnesota.
The governor’s comments followed a major announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which revealed that it was freezing all federal childcare payments to Minnesota amid concerns over widespread abuse of the system.
“While Minnesota has been combating fraud, the President has been letting fraudsters out of jail,” Walz wrote. “Trump’s using an issue he doesn’t give a damn about as an excuse to hurt working Minnesotans.”
Walz insisted that his administration has been actively addressing fraud concerns and accused the president of turning the matter into a partisan attack rather than a genuine effort to protect taxpayers.
The controversy escalated after HHS announced on Tuesday that it would halt “all childcare payments” to Minnesota as part of a broader crackdown. In a video posted on X, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill outlined what he described as three decisive actions taken in response to what the agency sees as rampant fraud within Minnesota’s childcare system.
“Today, we have taken three direct actions against the blatant fraud that seems to be rampant in Minnesota,” O’Neill said.
He explained that, first, HHS had activated its “defend the spend” system for all Administration for Children and Families (ACF) childcare payments nationwide. Under the new measure, payments will now require justification receipts or photo evidence before funds are released.
https://twitter.com/nickshirleyy/status/2004642794862961123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Second, O’Neill revealed that he had signed and sent a formal demand letter to Governor Walz, requesting a comprehensive “360-degree review” of childcare centers across the state.
According to O’Neill, this review would include attendance records, licensing documentation, complaints, investigations, and inspection reports. The goal, he said, is to ensure accountability and verify that taxpayer dollars are being used as intended.
The HHS action comes on the heels of a video released by citizen journalist Nick Shirley, who documented visits to several childcare centers in Minnesota that had reportedly received millions of dollars in federal funding.
In the footage, Shirley claimed there were little to no visible signs of children present at the facilities during normal operating hours, raising questions about whether the centers were legitimately serving the number of children they reported.
One center that drew particular attention was the Quality Learning Center, where Shirley noted that the word “learning” was misspelled as “learing” on the building’s sign—an image that quickly circulated online and fueled further scrutiny.
According to Breitbart News reporter Warner Todd Huston, Minnesota is not the only state facing such allegations. Other citizen journalists have reportedly uncovered what they describe as potential Somali-related fraud involving taxpayer-funded programs in states including Ohio, Maine, and Pennsylvania, suggesting the issue may extend beyond Minnesota.
As the dispute continues, Walz and the Trump administration remain sharply divided, with the governor framing the federal response as politically motivated, while HHS officials argue the measures are necessary to protect public funds and restore trust in federal assistance programs.
Source Breitbart
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