Filings Show Walz Campaigns Took Nearly $10,000 From Donors Linked to Day Care Providers

Campaign finance records indicate contributions from individuals tied to Somali-run child care and home health businesses later flagged for regulatory or fraud concerns.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s gubernatorial campaigns collected close to $10,000 in political donations from individuals connected to Somali-operated day care and home health care businesses in the state, according to campaign finance filings detailed in a new report.

The contributions were highlighted in a report that examined donor records amid broader scrutiny of alleged fraud involving Minnesota’s taxpayer-funded social service programs. Walz’s administration has faced criticism over oversight failures tied to millions of dollars in alleged misuse of state and federal funds.

Among the donations cited was a $1,000 contribution to Walz’s 2022 reelection campaign from Mohamed Rabi, associated with Hiawatha Adult Day Care Center. The facility does not operate its own website, but third-party listings place it on Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis within a strip mall. Those listings show the center sharing proximity with African Immigrants Community Services, a refugee resettlement organization that assists East African immigrants in accessing public benefits.

Hiawatha Adult Day Care Center is registered with the Minnesota Department of Education as a child nutrition organization and receives reimbursements for meals and snacks through the state’s federally funded Child and Adult Food Care Program, according to state records.

Walz’s campaign also received $1,000 in 2021 from Khadar Jama, linked to Open Hearts Home Health Care of Minneapolis. Public records show that Open Hearts shares an address with Caring Home Health, a business traced to a three-bedroom residential property.

Caring Home Health, which is Somali-owned, is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health as an assisted living facility and was cited in 2024 for multiple safety violations, according to an inspection report.

Earlier campaign filings show that during Walz’s initial 2018 gubernatorial run, his campaign accepted $2,250 from Abdiwadi Husen of Minnesota Quality Care and $500 from Nazneen Khatoon of Best Care Home Health Care.

Best Care Home Health Care came under investigation in 2023 following allegations of neglect involving a vulnerable adult. The case centered on an employee who reportedly smoked marijuana during a patient’s medical appointment and then drove the client home while under the influence.

That same year, a judge ruled that Best Care had improperly collected $2.23 million in Minnesota Health Care Program funds and ordered the organization to repay the overpayments. Court records also show the company faced civil allegations of overbilling the federal government or seeking reimbursement for services not rendered. In a separate 2002 case, the U.S. government filed a civil lawsuit accusing the company of submitting false Medicare reimbursement claims.

The filings have renewed questions from critics about political donations tied to providers later flagged for regulatory violations or alleged fraud, as state and federal authorities continue to investigate misuse of public funds within Minnesota’s child care and health services systems.