A resurfaced video featuring Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey dancing with a Somali flag and sporting an “I Love Somalia” t-shirt has caught attention amidst ongoing welfare fraud cases in the state, linked to the Somali community.
The footage captures Frey celebrating with the Somali community during the 65th Somali Independence Day event held in Minneapolis this past June.
Mayor Frey has notably sought to strengthen his ties with the Somali residents of Minneapolis. The Twin Cities area is home to approximately 80,000 Somali individuals, forming a significant and influential voting demographic in the city.
Nevertheless, despite his outreach efforts, Frey only managed to secure his re-election by a ten-point margin last November. He notably underperformed in precincts with a strong Somali presence, losing significantly to state Representative Omar Fateh.
Following the election, Frey stirred debate by attempting to deliver a portion of his victory speech in Somali.
In his endeavors to engage with the Somali community, Frey has also encountered individuals connected to the widespread welfare fraud cases occurring in Minnesota under Democratic Governor Tim Walz’s administration.
But in his efforts to reach out to the Somali community, Frey has also crossed paths with some Somalians involved in the many cases of welfare fraud perpetrated in Dem. Gov. Tim Walz’s Minnesota.
The 65th Somali Independence Day celebration where he danced a Somali dance wearing his “I Love Somalia” shirt was co-sponsored by the local Somali NGO named Ka Joog, whose chief, Ali Elmi, was arrested and charged in a $9 million fraud case. Despite the arrest and prosecution of the organization’s top official, Ka Joog continues to enjoy millions of dollars in funding from the state’s welfare programs.
