Fox News Politics Newsletter: House GOP whip calls for revoking citizenship over Minnesota fraud
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Questions remain, licensing site crashes as whiplash ensues in MN childcare fraud scandal –Minnesota Dem Senate candidate faces call from opponent to apologize over viral ‘pandering’ hijab video -Biden-era rental assistance included payments to dead tenants and non-citizens, new HUD report reveals The No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives believes it’s time to deport Somalis who participated in expansive fraud in Minnesota – even if they hold citizenship. “I have three words regarding Somalis who have committed fraud against American taxpayers: Send them home,” Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said in a press release Monday evening. “If they’re here illegally, deport them immediately; if they’re naturalized citizens, revoke their citizenship and deport them quickly thereafter. If we need to change the law to do that, I will.”…READ MORE. ARTIST BOYCOTT: Artists cancel Kennedy Center performances following ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’ rebrand ‘CLEAR INDICATION’: Eric Adams says Biden DOJ used ‘lawfare’ against him, compares treatment to Trump BROMANCE BUST: Inside the Trump-Musk split: How America’s most powerful bromance imploded into the biggest breakup of 2025 ‘HEINOUS’: US embassies in the Western Hemisphere directed to report on human rights violations tied to mass migration PEACE DEAL CLOSE: Zelenskyy says peace deal is close after Trump meeting but territory remains sticking point LETHAL STRIKE: US military kills 2 narco-terrorists in Eastern Pacific strike operation targeting vessel MONEY OR MAYHEM: Senate gears up for next spending fight as shutdown deadline creeps closer OUT OF TOUCH: Sen Jim Justice says Republicans are ‘lousy’ at knowing what everyday Americans think about healthcare NO NUKES FOR TEHRAN: Fetterman endorses the prospect of potential future strikes to derail any Iranian nuclear ambitions BEIJING’S THREAT: Bipartisan House China panel slams Beijing’s Taiwan drills as ‘deliberate escalation’ POWER GRAB IOWA: Republicans eye Iowa Senate supermajority in Tuesday special election SQAUD START: AOC to deliver opening remarks at Mamdani’s inauguration, Bernie Sanders to administer oath of office ‘A NEW ERA’: Flashback: Inside the political movement that put a socialist in charge of New York City HEALTH CARE CHAOS: Some states move to pick up the tab as Obamacare subsidies lapse ‘PLAGUING’ MIDWEST: Feds launch ‘massive operation’ in Minnesota amid fraud scandal CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Unearthed surveillance exposes how parents were allegedly involved in Minnesota’s daycare fraud scheme Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
HHS freezes Minnesota child care payments over alleged daycare fraud scheme
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will freeze all child care payments to Minnesota, the agency said Tuesday, amid the scrutiny surrounding alleged fraud involving child daycare centers across the state. “You have probably read the serious allegations that the state of Minnesota has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent daycares across Minnesota over the past decade,” HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill wrote on X. In a video message, O’Neill cited the viral video released last week by independent journalist Nick Shirley that highlighted alleged fraud involving Minnesota childcare and learning centers. ‘NO WAY’ WALZ ADMINISTRATION WAS UNAWARE OF MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL, EMMER SAYS In the video, many of the facilities appeared non-operational despite allegedly receiving millions of dollars in government aid. “We believe the state of Minnesota has allowed scammers and fake daycares to siphon millions of taxpayer dollars over the past decade,” he said. In an effort to combat fraud, O’Neill said he ordered that all Administration for Children and Families payments made across the country require justification and receipt or photo evidence before money is sent to a particular state. Secondly, the agency is demanding that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hand over a comprehensive audit of the centers featured in Shirley’s video, including attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections. FEDS LAUNCH ‘MASSIVE’ INVESTIGATION AFTER VIRAL VIDEO ALLEGES MINNESOTA DAYCARE FRAUD In addition, HHS has launched a hotline to report fraud. A spokesperson for Walz’s office told Fox News Digital that the HHS move was politically motivated. “The governor has been combatting fraud for years while the President has been letting fraudsters out of jail,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Fraud is a serious issue. But this is a transparent attempt to politicize the issue to hurt Minnesotans and defund government programs that help people.” In a post on X, Walz said the move was part of President Donald Trump’s “long game.” “We’ve spent years cracking down on fraudsters. It’s a serious issue – but this has been his plan all along,” he wrote. “He’s politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans.” Alex Adams, the assistant secretary for HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, said his office has provided Minnesota with $185 million in child funds annually. “That money should be helping 19,000 American children, including toddlers and infants. Any dollars stolen by fraudsters is stolen from those children,” Adams said. Adams said he spoke with the head of Minnesota Child Care Services office on Monday. “She could not tell me with confidence whether those allegations of fraud are isolated or whether there’s fraud stretching statewide,” he said.
US judge orders suspect detained for threatening to kill Richard Grenell
A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, on Tuesday ordered the detention of a 33-year-old man charged with threatening to kill President Donald Trump ally and Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell, in what Justice Department officials described as a win for the Trump administration – and for Lindsey Halligan, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Grenell, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany, was not in court for the arraignment Tuesday afternoon, and was identified in a press release only as a “federal employee.” The Justice Department identified Grenell to Fox News Digital as the individual in question. The suspect, Scott Allen Bolger, was charged with transmitting threats in interstate commerce, and with making false statements to federal officers, who later used phone evidence to trace the threats back to him. He was arraigned in federal court in Alexandria. Justice Department officials told Fox News Digital that the decision to hold an individual in pretrial detention is somewhat rare, and described the win as a victory for the Justice Department. According to court documents, Bolger used Google Voice to send threatening messages to Grenell, including allegedly threatening to kill him. Google Voice allows users to make calls and send messages to phone numbers that are not tied to their primary devices. Bolger is also accused of lying to members of a federal task force who went to his residence in McLean to question him, falsely identifying himself as “Brian Black.” COMEY SEEKS TO TOSS CRIMINAL CASE CALLING TRUMP PROSECUTOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ APPOINTEE If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. They also noted that Halligan, who Trump installed as U.S. attorney for EDVA earlier this year, attended the arraignment. Halligan attended the proceedings, but did not play a formal role, Fox News Digital confirmed. The Justice Department also shared a victim statement from Grenell with Fox News Digital that was read aloud in court. “In my current role as a presidential envoy, I have been attacked and harassed by people who don’t know me and who simply want to leave nasty, rude and angry messages because I don’t share their political viewpoint,” Grenell said in the statement. “But I strongly believe it is their right to be bitter and angry. I understand the passion. And I think the freedom to be rude and angry is a cherished right.” “But today is much different,” he said. “Today we are dealing with someone who went far beyond sharing his angry opinion. Today we see a man who wants to kill someone because of their political differences.” “And as we have sadly learned from my friend Charlie Kirk’s death, we must take talk of violence and calls for death seriously. “ “This individual crossed the line from sharing his viewpoint to wanting to shoot someone in the face because he disagrees with them politically. It is very troubling,” he said, adding, “The people doing what he is doing, and there are many, must be given clear instructions from community leaders that their calls for shooting people in the head will have swift and severe consequences. Unstable people are watching what we do today.” SCOTUS TO REVIEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP Notably, the determination to hold Bolger in pretrial detention was made by U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick most recently made headlines for issuing scathing broadsides against DOJ for its handling of grand jury materials in the Comey case, which he said, last month, presented “irregularities” that “may rise to the level of government misconduct.” The suspect’s arrest comes at a time when threats and intimidation aimed at high-profile figures across all three branches of government have appeared to escalate. Polls have shown that people believe political violence is on the rise in the wake of Kirk’s assassination, the murder of two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers and violence toward immigration enforcement officials. Brooke Singman contributed to this report. This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Maine nonprofit with Somali ties reportedly sees state funding shut off after fraud claims
A Maine health services company recently accused by a whistleblower of bilking taxpayers out of millions in Medicaid funds saw its spigot shut off this week as the state Department of Health moved to halt payments from MaineCare. Gateway Community Services is a Portland company run by a Somali-born man who ran for president – the U.S. equivalent of governor – of Jubaland, Somalia, for what would have been a four-year term beginning in 2024, according to his campaign website. Ali’s campaign manifesto includes a point saying he would create “robust security infrastructure” to counter Al-Shabab, while reports out of Minnesota claim their Somali-tied funds may have ended up in the hands of the terror group. FEDS LAUNCH ‘MASSIVE OPERATION’ IN MINNESOTA AMID FRAUD SCANDAL Incumbent Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe won that contest, which also inspired both the Mogadishu government and semi-autonomous Jubaland government in Bu’ale to issue arrest warrants for each other’s leaders over illegitimacy claims, according to Reuters. Ali originally came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2009, became a U.S. citizen, and started several ventures, according to the Maine Wire. MaineCare sent Gateway a notice of violation last week, according to the Bangor Daily News, which reported that payments would be suspended while the state investigated “credible allegations of fraud.” MINNESOTA GOP LAWMAKERS CITE CONSTITUTION IN CALL FOR WALZ TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD CRISIS The paper reported the state will seek more than $1 million in payments made in 2021 and 2022, with Maine Department of Health spokesperson Lindsay Hammes saying the agency will “continue to hold providers to the highest standards and ensure accountability in the use of public funds.” MaineCare paid Gateway $28.8 million between 2019 and 2024, according to records obtained by the Bangor Daily News through a public records request. The firm also received almost $700,000 in COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to purportedly save 127 jobs, according to the Maine Wire. Fox News Digital had attempted to reach Ali and Gateway earlier this month when a whistleblower came forward to NewsNation alleging he had witnessed fraud firsthand while working there. The whistleblower, Chris Bernardini, told NewsNation that while working at the firm, he “couldn’t fathom” the depths of alleged fraud he witnessed. “I thought we were helping people,” he said, adding that he received calls complaining that Gateway staff never showed up for clients, and claimed an electronic monitoring system tracking movements of field staff wrongly depicted them traveling to low-income clients, according to the outlet. HHS PROBES MINNESOTA’S USE OF BILLIONS IN FEDERAL SOCIAL SERVICE FUNDS AMID FRAUD CONCERNS: REPORT An attorney for Gateway, Pawel Bincyzk, told the Bangor paper that the firm did receive notices from the state but that the company “stands by its previous statements on this issue and will continue to cooperate with the state as it has in the past.” The notification from Augusta came shortly after Congress weighed in on the matter in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding concerns over Minnesota’s burgeoning Somali-linked fraud scandal. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., also listed Gateway in the letter, along with several people purportedly connected to the firm, including Ali and state Rep. Deqa Dhalac, D-Portland. A message left at the phone number for Gateway’s main office was not returned, and another extension was disconnected. Fox News Digital reached out to Maine Democratic Attorney General Aaron Frey about the state’s actions. A spokesperson declined comment on the investigation.
DOJ’s second-in-command could be central to ‘vindictive’ prosecution of Abrego Garcia, judge rules
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to produce documents related to its decision to investigate and bring criminal charges against Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia while he was detained at a maximum-security prison in El Salvador earlier this year – signaling what is sure to be an action-packed evidentiary hearing in Nashville next month. The order, filed by U.S. Judge Waverly Crenshaw earlier this month and released to the public Tuesday afternoon, requires the Justice Department to produce all relevant documents to defense lawyers pertaining to its decision earlier this year to open an investigation and seek criminal charges against Abrego Garcia for conduct stemming from a 2022 traffic stop. ABREGO GARCIA REMAINS IN US FOR NOW AS JUDGE TAKES CASE UNDER ADVISEMENT The Justice Department opened the criminal investigation and presented the case to a grand jury earlier this year, when Abrego Garcia was detained at CECOT, and at the same time as lawyers for the Trump administration officials were telling a separate federal judge in Maryland that they were powerless to bring him back from Salvadoran custody. The new order stops short of compelling any government witnesses to testify for next month’s hearing, including testimony from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, whose remarks – for months – have been at the center of the vindictive prosecution effort pursued by Abrego Garcia’s defense team in Tennessee. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have argued Blanche played “a leading role” in the decision to prosecute him, a notion Blanche’s office has vehemently dismissed. They had also honed in on the involvement of Blanche’s associate, Aakash Singh. “The cornerstone of Abrego’s motion to dismiss is that the decision to prosecute him was in retaliation for his success in the Maryland District Court,” Crenshaw said in the newly unsealed ruling. “Indeed, at the time of Abrego’s arrest, Blanche linked Abrego’s criminal charges to his successful civil lawsuit in Maryland. Specifically, some of the documents suggest not only that McGuire was not a solitary decision-maker, but he, in fact, reported to others in DOJ and the decision to prosecute Abrego may have been a joint decision, with others who may or may not have acted with improper motivation.” U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw had ruled in October that Abrego Garcia had established a “reasonable likelihood” that the criminal case against him was the result of vindictive prosecution by the Justice Department, a determination that shifted the burden to the government to rebut ahead of the criminal trial, and ordered the Trump administration to produce for the court internal documents and government witnesses to testify about its decision to bring the case. SCOTUS TO REVIEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP Lawyers for the Justice Department fiercely resisted efforts to produce government witnesses or documents, arguing that the documents should be protected by attorney-client privilege and work-product privilege, among other things. The evidentiary hearing is slated to take place on Jan. 28. Crenshaw separately canceled the criminal trial date for Abrego Garcia, though the update is likely more a procedural one than a reflection of the status of the case. Abrego Garcia’s status has been at the center of a legal and political maelstrom for nearly 11 months, after he was arrested and deported to his home country of El Salvador, in violation of a 2019 withholding of removal order. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
DOJ challenges Virginia law granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrants
The Trump administration is suing Virginia over a law that allows some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates to attend universities and colleges. Federal law prohibits states from providing illegal immigrants postsecondary education benefits that are denied to U.S. citizens. The Justice Department, which filed the lawsuit in Richmond, argues that Virginia state law discriminates against American citizens who can’t afford the same reduced tuition rates, scholarships or subsidies and that it incentivizes illegal immigration. “This is not only wrong but illegal. The challenged act’s discriminatory treatment in favor of illegal aliens over citizens is squarely prohibited and preempted by federal law,” the 13-page complaint states. “There are no exceptions. Virginia violates it nonetheless.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BANS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TAXPAYER-FUNDED SERVICES, INCLUDING HEAD START Under state law, students who establish residency in Virginia for one year could be eligible for in-state tuition, regardless of their immigration status. The complaint urges Virginia to stop providing illegal immigrants with in-state tuition rates, financial aid or other state benefits. TRUMP ADMIN SUES COLORADO, DENVER OVER ‘SANCTUARY LAWS,’ ALLEGED INTERFERENCE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT “This is a simple matter of federal law: in Virginia and nationwide, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the office of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares for comment. The Trump administration has filed tuition lawsuits against several other states, including Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Oklahoma, Minnesota and California. Upon taking office, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders to ensure illegal immigrants can’t obtain taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.
Republicans eye Iowa Senate supermajority in Tuesday special election
Democrats’ last sliver of leverage in Iowa’s Senate is on the line Tuesday, with Republicans poised to seize a supermajority that would let GOP leaders govern with little resistance. IOWA’S POLICE CHIEF’S SON AMONG NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS KILLED IN SYRIA ISIS TERRORIST ATTACK Renee Hardman, the Democratic candidate, will face off against Republican Lucas Loftin in a race for Iowa Senate District 16 to fill the seat of the late Sen. Claire Celsi, who died of undisclosed medical complications in October. Celsi, a Democrat, had held a seat in Iowa’s Senate since 2019. With control of two-thirds of the chamber, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds could more easily push through her appointments to state agencies. Without it, she requires the help of at least one Democrat to confirm her nominations. TOP GOP SENATOR STEPS UP EFFORTS TO PROTECT REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS That lone vote provides Democrats with a rare level of power in the Hawkeye State. Democrats, now in danger of losing their foothold in the Senate, also find themselves dwarfed in the state’s House of Representatives, where Republicans hold 66 of the chamber’s 100 seats. Democrats, meanwhile, hold just 33. There’s one vacancy in the chamber. At the federal level, Republicans hold all four of Iowa’s districts in the House of Representatives and both U.S. Senate seats. Notably, Democrats will likely try to wage a competitive Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, in 2026. DEM HOUSE CANDIDATE’S LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLE CLASHES WITH ‘WORKING-CLASS’ CAMPAIGN MESSAGE Democrats narrowly escaped a Republican supermajority back in another special election in August. Tuesday will mark Iowa’s sixth special election of the year. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Deal-making clemency: Inside Trump’s most disputed pardons of 2025
President Donald Trump granted clemency this year to a range of figures he viewed as victims of an unfair justice system. Some were tied to his newfound interest in cryptocurrency or shared in his 2020 election grievances, while another was simply brought up during a round of golf. While presidents of both parties have long used their pardon power in controversial ways, Trump’s clemency activity in 2025 stood out for its volume and for the deal-making style that has been a defining feature of his approach to power. What follows is a list of some of the president’s most controversial pardons in 2025. The day Trump took office, he issued mass clemency to nearly all his supporters who had been convicted of federal offenses related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump said at the time they had been “treated very unfair” by prosecutors and the courts. Roughly 1,600 people faced charges over the Capitol attack, and the Department of Justice secured guilty pleas or convictions for more than 1,200 of them, according to federal data. About 200 pleaded guilty to felonies that included assaulting officers, and more than 200 others were convicted in trials of offenses that included attacking law enforcement. Trump singled out 14 of the defendants, some of whom received prison sentences that stretched beyond a decade, and commuted their sentences instead of pardoning them. They included numerous Oath Keepers and Proud Boys leaders. BOASBERG REVERSES COURSE ON JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS PARDONED BY TRUMP The president also directed the DOJ to drop pending cases for all the remaining defendants. The grand act of clemency wiped out one of the DOJ’s largest and most resource-intensive law enforcement operations in history. Cases were brought throughout all four years of the Biden administration. The founder and former CEO of Binance, the largest cryptocurrency platform, was convicted of anti-money laundering violations and received a full pardon in October 2025. The pardon came one week after Donald Trump Jr. introduced a lobbyist for Zhao to Trump while on stage at Charlie Kirk’s memorial. Critics observed that Binance has boosted the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company, but a lawyer denied any business reasons for the pardon, instead telling The Wall Street Journal Zhao was “pardoned for justice.” The former U.S. representative who was found to be a serial fabulist after his congressional run had his seven-year prison sentence commuted in October 2025. Santos pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity-theft charges, admitting to using campaign funds to buy luxury products and pay off his credit card debt. Fellow Long Island Republicans who had previously called for his resignation reacted angrily to the commutation, with Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., calling it “not justice” and unfair to the people Santos defrauded. HONDURAS ISSUES WARRANT FOR FORMER PRESIDENT PARDONED BY TRUMP Trump said Santos, who became an outspoken supporter of the president prior to receiving the pardon, was mistreated in jail. Santos “has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump said. Leiweke, a sports executive, was charged by the Trump DOJ’s Antitrust Division with rigging a bid to build an arena at the University of Texas. The DOJ accused Leiweke of violating the Sherman Act by gypping the university and taxpayers out of a fair bidding process to benefit his own company. Former Rep. Trey Gowdy, who represented Leiweke, persuaded Trump to grant his client the pardon after a round of golf at Mar-a-Lago, The Wall Street Journal first reported. Trump issued a heavily criticized pardon to Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, who had been convicted in a U.S. federal court on drug-trafficking and firearms charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison for helping cocaine traffickers move hundreds of tons of narcotics into the U.S. Trump’s pardon, granted in December, freed Hernandez from prison in West Virginia just days before Honduras’s presidential election. Honduras responded by issuing a warrant for Hernandez’s arrest. Trump claimed Hernandez had been unfairly prosecuted by the Biden administration. Critics observed that Trump has pushed legal boundaries to carry out one of his top agenda items, cracking down on drug trafficking, and that Hernandez’s release was counterproductive to that mission. Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality TV stars from “Chrisley Knows Best,” were convicted in 2022 of bank fraud and tax evasion and both serving prison sentences when Trump pardoned them in May. Trump cited “pretty harsh treatment” as his reason for the clemency. Their daughter, Savannah, endorsed Trump during the Republican National Committee convention ahead of the 2024 election. The daughter revealed in December she is stepping into a cohost role on “The View.” Incidentally, Savannah Chrisley’s future cohosts had slammed her parents’ pardon as unethical. NEW MOTION SEEKS COLORADO CLERK TINA PETERS’ RELEASE, CHALLENGING STATE AFTER TRUMP PARDON “If you are a reality star with a lot of money, and a tax cheat, and you commit fraud, then that’s good. We’re going to give you a pardon,” anti-Trump host Joy Behar had said. Trump granted a full pardon to Archer, who was convicted in a federal fraud case, in March 2025. Archer was a longtime business partner of Hunter Biden but became an ally to House Republicans as they investigated the Bidens for what they said were corrupt foreign business dealings. The Democratic congressman from Texas and his wife were pardoned after the Biden DOJ brought federal bribery charges against them. Trump claimed they were unfairly targeted because Henry Cuellar, a moderate who represented a battleground district in South Texas, supported more border security than many of his Democratic colleagues. However, when Cuellar filed for reelection as a Democrat after Trump’s pardon, the president said he was displeased. “Such a lack of LOYALTY,” Trump wrote on social media. “Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!” Trump announced in December that he pardoned Tina Peters, the former Mesa County, Colorado, elections clerk who was serving a 9-year state prison sentence for orchestrating a data-breach scheme to
House GOP whip urges citizenship revocations tied to Minnesota fraud schemes
The No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives believes it’s time to deport Somalis who participated in expansive fraud in Minnesota – even if they hold citizenship. “I have three words regarding Somalis who have committed fraud against American taxpayers: Send them home,” Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said in a press release Monday evening. LOEFFLER: VAST NETWORK OF SOMALI NONPROFITS RIPPED OFF MINNESOTA’S WELFARE STATE “If they’re here illegally, deport them immediately; if they’re naturalized citizens, revoke their citizenship and deport them quickly thereafter. If we need to change the law to do that, I will.” Emmer’s statement comes after recent revelations that fraud schemes targeting government benefit programs in the North Star State may have robbed taxpayers of up to $9 billion. In recent months, investigators have uncovered sweeping fraud schemes masquerading as daycare centers, medical providers and food assistance programs, siphoning millions in government funds by fabricating services or inflating the number of people they claimed to serve. According to Emmer, 90% of the people charged with fraud have a Somali background. “Our nation will not tolerate those who take advantage of our charity and refuse to assimilate into our culture,” Emmer said. STATE OFFICIALS AND DAYCARE MANAGER PUSH BACK ON VIRAL VIDEO FRAUD ALLEGATIONS IN MINNESOTA While federal and congressional investigations continue to work through numerous schemes, one of the more troubling questions about the fraud is about where the money could end up. City Journal, a national magazine, first reported that some of those funds could have gone to Al-Shabaab – an Islamic terror group with ties to al Qaeda. While the group also operates out of Kenya and Ethiopia, Al-Shabaab is primarily concentrated in Somalia. “If any naturalized Somalis had undisclosed ties to terrorist organizations like Al-Shabaab, I want to see their citizenship revoked and their a–es sent back immediately. Same goes for anyone who is found to have committed marriage fraud during the immigration process,” Emmer said. Under current law, U.S. citizens born into the country may not have their citizenship revoked as a penalty for crimes they commit. Naturalized citizens can have their status revoked, but only in a handful of scenarios. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, naturalized immigrants can only have their citizenship revoked if they misrepresented their record in the application, such as hiding criminal histories or using a fake identity. UNEARTHED SURVEILLANCE EXPOSES HOW PARENTS WERE ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN MINNESOTA’S DAYCARE FRAUD SCHEME Earlier this month, the Supreme Court announced it would review the constitutionality of an executive order from President Donald Trump that aims to exclude children born to parents with temporary or unlawful status from U.S. citizenship. The court will hear that case in spring 2026.
Minnesota Dem Senate candidate faces call from opponent to apologize over viral ‘pandering’ hijab video
Minnesota Republican senatorial candidate David Hann is calling on one of his potential Democratic opponents to apologize after a video of her wearing a hijab and supporting the Somali community amidst a massive fraud scandal went viral on social media. “It’s emblematic of the way she and other Democrat politicians in Minnesota have behaved over the past decade or so. They’re very political,” said former Minnesota state Sen. David Hann, who is running for Senate in the Republican primary, of Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s video wearing a hijab and defending the Somali community amid a massive fraud scandal that has rocked Minnesota over the past several years. “They just are pandering to political constituencies, and they’re not doing the job that they were elected to do.” In the video, which was widely criticized by conservatives on social media last week, Flanagan can be seen donning a hijab while talking to Somali constituents. MINNESOTA GOP LAWMAKERS CITE CONSTITUTION IN CALL FOR WALZ TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD CRISIS “Salam alaikum,” Flanagan says in the video giving an Arabic greeting before saying, “The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota.” “I am here shopping today and just encouraging other folks to show up, support our Somali businesses, support our immigrant neighbors, and I know that things are scary right now,” Flanagan added in the video that was aired on Somali TV. “Being part of Minnesota and growing up here, the Somali community has always been a part of my Minnesota,” Flanagan added, while telling residents to “show up and support our Somali businesses and our immigrant neighbors.” “We’ve got your back,” Flanagan said. Flanagan, who has not spoken out in response to the viral investigation from journalist Nick Shirley highlighting the alleged fraud problem in Minnesota, faced criticism over the video from those who accused her of downplaying the scandal. MEDIA ‘COMPLICITY’ BLAMED AS FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD CRISIS COULD REACH $9B: ‘SHOWN THEIR TRUE COLORS’ “This is what political performance looks like — symbolism over accountability — while billions in taxpayer dollars vanish,” Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham posted on X. “Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wears hijab in solidarity with Somalis as feds probe multibillion-dollar fraud scandal.” Hann told Fox News Digital that Flanagan should apologize for and retract the video. “They did not do their duty out of concern that they would offend a political constituency,” Hann said. “So they haven’t done anything to take responsibility for what the public expects them to do. So yes, she should apologize.” “She certainly should not be sent to Washington to oversee federal dollars being spent. But it’s emblematic of the way Democrats have governed in this state. They like to posture, they like to tell people how compassionate they are. They tell us our high taxes are helping people, but they really haven’t demonstrated a concern for helping people. They’re more interested in just spending.” Fox News Digital has extensively reported in recent weeks on the Minnesota fraud scandal, including concerns that the fear of being called “racist” helped provide cover for the fraud, which primarily occurred within the state’s Somali community. LAWMAKERS PROBE SBA LOANS LINKED TO MINNESOTA’S $9B FRAUD SCANDAL: ‘RECKLESS DECISION MAKING’ “The Somali voting block is significant in the Minneapolis area, of course, and they’re concerned about that,” Hann told Fox News Digital. “And yes, I’ve seen those reports as well, that there were concerns about how this would appear. Most of the fraud was conducted by Somalis who put up these shell companies and looted the public treasury and I think the Democrats were concerned that if they went after that, they would appear to be picking on the Somali community when, in fact, they needed to enforce the law.” “I think every community wants to see the laws enforced and people in Minnesota want to see laws enforced. And this is why this is so terrible. They are just failing to do the duty that they were elected to do.” The lieutenant governor, who has been in office since 2019, is challenging two other Democratic candidates in the Senate primary race to fill the seat of outgoing Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. Former Democratic presidential candidate and current Sen. Amy Klobuchar serves as the other senator from the state. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Flanagan spokesperson Alexandra Fetissoff said the focus should be on the Trump administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants in Minnesota. “While the Lt. Governor was showing her support for small businesses and communities being terrorized by ICE, she was handed a scarf by a friend and briefly wore it out of respect,” Fetissoff said. “The real outrage should not be a scarf, but masked men throwing American citizens into vans and violating the constitution.” Flanagan’s team also clarified that while many on social media have claimed she said Somalis “built” Minnesota, “she does not say that in the video.” Last week, Fox News Digital first reported on legislation introduced by GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks named after Tim Walz that is aimed at addressing future fraud like what has occurred in Minnesota and could total as much as $9 billion, according to federal prosecutors. If elected to the Senate, Hann told Fox News Digital he would push for more “safeguards.” “But I think we should also be looking at, how can we reform the whole welfare establishment?” Hann explained. “Are there better ways to help people? We should be more concerned about trying to make sure people’s lives are improved, rather than just spending money. It seems to me that the Waltz administration has been focused on just handing out money, Democrats in Washington just hand out the money and no accountability and no attempt to figure out the effectiveness of the programs that we have, we need to take a hard look at that.” Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report.