House Oversight Committee to hold hearings probing Somali fraud in Minnesota

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced on Wednesday that the committee will hold a hearing the following week to investigate widespread allegations of fraud and misuse of federal funds in Minnesota's social services programs, with significant involvement from members of the state's Somali community. The announcement comes amid escalating probes into schemes that have reportedly siphoned off billions in taxpayer dollars, primarily through child nutrition and childcare programs. A viral investigation into Somali-operated daycare centers by independent journalist and YouTuber Nick Shirely shone a further spotlight on the matter.

The hearing, titled "Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I," is scheduled for January 7, 2026, at 10 am EST. It will include Minnesota state officials who sounded the alarm on one of the biggest fraud scandals in US history, but were ignored by Democrat Gov. Tim Walz. A second hearing is planned for February 10, 2026, where Comer has invited Governor Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to testify.

"Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have either been asleep at the wheel or complicit in a massive fraud involving taxpayer dollars in Minnesota's social services programs. American taxpayers demand and deserve accountability for the theft of their hard-earned money," said Chairman Comer in a press release. "The US Department of Justice is actively investigating, prosecuting, and charging fraudsters who have stolen billions from taxpayers, and Congress has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight of this heist and enact stronger safeguards to prevent fraud in taxpayer-funded programs, as well as strong sanctions to hold offenders accountable."

The scandal centers on the "Feeding Our Future" program, a nonprofit that administered federal child nutrition funds during the Covid-19 pandemic. Federal prosecutors allege that participants in the scheme defrauded over $250 million by claiming to feed millions of children who did not exist, using shell companies and falsified records to launder the money. As of late 2025, 78 defendants have been charged, with more than 50 pleading guilty and seven convicted at trial, according to the US Justice Department.

Broader investigations have expanded beyond child nutrition to include alleged fraud in Minnesota's childcare and Medicaid programs, potentially totaling more than $9 billion in losses. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently froze all child care payments to Minnesota pending audits, citing "blatant fraud" uncovered by viral videos from independent journalist and YouTuber Nick Shirely.