The controversy surrounding Somali immigrants allegedly defrauding the state of Minnesota is unlikely to fade until a high-ranking official is held accountable, a political strategist has cautioned.
Scott Jennings, a former adviser to President Bush, was described by social media as delivering a “truth bomb” during a heated exchange with CNN host Abby Phillip, criticizing the lack of responsibility taken by elected leaders regarding the childcare fraud issue.
This situation has led at least one prominent Republican to call for a complete halt on immigration, while others have suggested that without significant action, fraudulent activities will persist.
The childcare fraud in question highlights the ongoing weaknesses in federally funded initiatives like the Child Care Assistance Program. The scandal involves individuals from Minnesota’s sizable Somali community, who are accused of charging for services that were never provided—a scheme reminiscent of the notorious $250 million Feeding Our Future meal fraud during the COVID pandemic, which resulted in numerous convictions.
Earlier in December, a federal prosecutor claimed that approximately $9 billion allocated to 14 different programs in Minnesota since 2018 might have been misappropriated.
The uproar intensified on Friday following the release of a viral YouTube video by independent journalist Nick Shirley. The footage showcased empty daycares run by Somalis that were nonetheless receiving taxpayer money, leading to increased federal investigations and a surge of political backlash.
Jennings clashed on Monday night with Phillip after she asserted that ‘the idea that nothing is being done that no one is being held accountable … is completely false.’
The Republican strategist fired back: ‘Well, some people have been held accountable. But I think in the opinion of most Republicans, not nearly enough.’
Scott Jennings dropped what social media described as a ‘truth nuke’ when he clashed with CNN host Abby Phillip over the lack of accountability by elected officials for the childcare fraud
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix
Then he warned, in what MAGA commentators described as a ‘knockout line’, that the fury will not cease unless an elected official goes to jail for the fiasco.
‘Until somebody in a position of power, until somebody in a position in Minnesota, elected position, who was in charge of administering this or having some oversight over it, goes to jail, it’s honestly never going to stop,’ Jennings said.
‘Look what’s going on in blue states across the country: nine billion in Minnesota, 70 billion in fraud in California, cooking the crime stats in Washington, D.C.
‘When is someone in a position of power going to go to jail for the rampant fraud? You can put all the low-level people in jail you want, but until somebody in charge goes to jail, it won’t stop.’
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said earlier this month that fraud will not be tolerated and that his administration ‘will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.’
However, Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing for severe new measures.
Among them is Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who has called for a total end to immigration amid the scandal.
She wrote on X last night: ‘Our immigration system is incredibly broken, and, as you were seeing, there are many people who have come to this country and seriously abused it. The entire system needs an overhaul.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gives an interview with Star Tribune journalists in the governor’s office at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Dec. 12, 2024
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at Boom Island Park, Minneapolis, USA – 03 Sep 2021
‘I will be introducing an immigration moratorium as soon as we get back to Washington and the floor reopens. This is a necessary move in order to flush the system.’
The publication of Shirley’s video on Friday, which has now racked up more than 100 million views, sparked an immediate crackdown by the Trump administration.
JD Vance reposted the footage on X, writing: ‘This dude has done far more useful journalism than any of the winners of the 2024 Pulitzer prizes.’
The vice president added: ‘What’s happening in Minnesota is a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system. Politicians like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich.
‘But it’s a zero sum game, and they’re stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans.’
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Monday that officials had opened a fraud investigation in Minneapolis, while FBI Director Kash Patel on Sunday said that the agency was ‘surging’ personnel and resources to Minnesota.
Patel said that previous fraud arrests in Minnesota were ‘just the tip of a very large iceberg.’
President Donald Trump has criticized Walz’s administration over the fraud cases to date.
In recent weeks, tensions have been high between state and federal enforcement in the area as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown focused on the Somali community in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, which is the largest in the country.
Among those running schemes to get funds for child nutrition, housing services and autism programs, 82 of the 92 defendants are Somali Americans, according to the US Attorney’s Office for Minnesota.
Walz spokesperson Claire Lancaster said that the governor has worked for years to ‘crack down on fraud’ and was seeking more authority from the Legislature to take aggressive action.
Walz has supported criminal prosecutions and taken a number of other steps, including strengthening oversight and hiring an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, Lancaster said.
