Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the House Majority Whip, sent a letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz demanding answers and immediate action following allegations of large-scale fraud involving Somali government-run day care centers and health centers.
The letter comes after a viral investigation by citizen journalist Nick Shirley, who reportedly uncovered more than $110 million in fraud in one day.
In a Dec. 29 letter addressed to Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Tom Emmer strongly condemned what he called a “national disgrace” associated with the Minnesota administration. “Against the national disgrace you have brought upon Minnesota,” Emmer began, “I am even more appalled by recent reports of an egregious, large-scale fraud scheme at Somali-run health care and day care centers across the state.”
He called on Walz to take immediate action and stated bluntly: “I pray that you are not complicit in allowing these centers to survive.”
Emmer noted that Shirley recently traveled to Minnesota to investigate what he called “potentially the largest fraud scandal in U.S. history” involving the movement of billions of taxpayer dollars through Somali-run businesses and government services, including day care centers, transportation services and health care providers. Emmer cited estimates that more than $9 billion in taxpayer funds was stolen under Governor Walz's administration—an amount he said nearly equal to Somalia's entire gross domestic product (GDP).
Shirley, in his viral expose, documented inactive or empty day care centers that he discovered had received millions in federal and state aid. One of the examples given by Emmer involved the Mako Child Care Center and Mini Child Care Center, which allegedly received $5 million in funding for 120 children over three years while operating out of an empty building. Another nearby center, ABC Learning Center, licensed for 40 children, received $3 million in taxpayer funds, Emmer said.
“These criminals did this hand in hand with your administration,” Emmer said in his letter.
Other examples include the Center for Early Learning for Future Leaders, which received more than $3 million in 2025 but did not provide documentation to prospective parents, and the Center for Quality Learning, which was misspelled as “Quality Learning.”[n]ing Center” on the sign, where Shirley found no activity and estimated that she had received about $4 million over the past two years.
Further allegations involved several Somali-owned medical businesses operating out of the same addresses, one of which reportedly funneled $50 million to $60 million through a single building in Minneapolis. Shirley said he was escorted from the building when he asked for rate information.
“This is despicable,” Emmer wrote.
The congressman linked the fraud to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), citing a 2018 audit that found Minnesota failed to determine how much fraud existed in the program. He demanded a detailed report by January 9, 2026, asking Walz to answer six specific questions:
- What steps has the administration taken to eliminate fraud in CCAP?
- How are medical institutions and kindergartens checked before receiving government funds?
- Have any of the centers mentioned in Shirley's report been previously investigated?
- Why was Creative Minds Daycare allowed to reopen under a new name the day after it closed?
- Will the licenses of exposed centers be revoked and criminal cases initiated?
- Is Walz planning to resign given the extent of the alleged Medicaid fraud?
“The volume of Minnesota taxpayer dollars stolen under your watch… is equal to almost the entire GDP of Somalia,” Emmer said. “It is clear that you are either indifferent or incapable of doing your job.”
The congressman concluded his letter by repeating demands he made earlier this year in statements to Breitbart News, including calls for accountability, license revocations and investigations.
“Governor Walz, the country is watching,” Emmer warned. “Now more than ever, I encourage you to join him. [President Trump] and bring those responsible, including yourself, to justice. America is no longer asking, but demanding, that you take action against these criminals. I look forward to your prompt response.”
In a previous commentary for Breitbart News, Emmer marked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is “one of the most two-faced scammers I've ever seen,” pointing to her role in creating the Feed Our Future program, which he called Somalia's largest case of fraud during the pandemic.
Investigation reports based on Millions of stolen funds were transferred to Somalia through the hawala network, with the funds reportedly ending up in the hands of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group al-Shabaab, according to federal counterterrorism sources. Emmer has previously called for a criminal investigation into these alleged connections. accusing Walz and other Minnesota officials about “negligence or complete incompetence.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Vice President J.D. Vance also voiced investigative support, with Vance saying Shirley's journalism was “much more rewarding” than her recent Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Meanwhile, in November, President Trump ended Temporary Protected Status for Somali migrants in Minnesota after allegations of widespread fraud and terrorist financing came to light.
The US Treasury also launched investigation, and the Department of Transportation warned Minnesota it could lose $30 million in federal highway funds due to related licensing errors.
