Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) said this week that he would “welcome more” Somali immigrants into Minnesota, as federal investigators continue to uncover the extent of widespread welfare fraud believed to have originated primarily from the state’s Somali population.
While appearing as a star speaker at a fundraiser for Gov. Bob Ferguson (D-WA), Walz said his administration would accept the arrival of more Somalis with open arms should more immigrate to the United States.
Walz billed the move as a countereffort to President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration in Minnesota’s Somali community. The president’s crackdown followed reports of fraudsters, allegedly primarily of Somali origin, stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding from the state’s social services programming.
“We have in Minnesota, per capita-wise, more refugees than any other state,” Walz touted, drawing cheers from the Seattle crowd, before vowing to allow more Somali immigrants to resettle in Minnesota.
During his stump speech for Ferguson, who is seeking reelection, Walz made no mention of the Somali fraud scandal looming over his office. Democratic donors reportedly paid upward of $2,500 for VIP tables at the fundraising luncheon, which took place in the Seattle Convention Center’s sixth-floor ballroom.
“These folks better not ever mistake our kindness for our weakness because we are going to defend our neighbors,” Walz said of deportation officers arresting illegal Somali immigrants. “These guys bring out the worst in me.”
HOMAN CONFIRMS ICE SURGE COMING TO TWIN CITIES FOLLOWING SOMALI FRAUD INVESTIGATION
“But the antidote to that is positive actions to improve lives that go against what they are trying to do,” Walz continued. “So instead of demonizing our Somali community, we’re going to do more to welcome more in.”
Walz is under fire for allegedly failing to stop massive fraud schemes in his home state. Some state workers from Minnesota’s Department of Human Services have blamed Walz, saying he is “100% responsible” and accusing him of “systematically” silencing whistleblowers who warned of fraud occurring under his watch.
As authorities continue to try to recover the stolen taxpayer funds, dozens of alleged fraudsters, most of them from Minnesota’s Somali diaspora, are facing federal charges for their suspected involvement in the sprawling schemes that targeted state-administered assistance programs.
Although the criminal proceedings have unfolded over the past few years, with some prosecutions securing convictions, the cases are receiving renewed attention in light of the political firestorm engulfing Walz’s administration.
Attempts to recover the stolen assets, both domestically and abroad, have been hindered since some of the convicted co-conspirators laundered the money through Africa-based shell companies or used it to pay off personal expenses, such as credit card bills, and finance their “lavish lifestyles,” according to prosecutors.
During the recovery process, officials discovered that a considerable portion of the stolen funds was used to purchase luxury vehicles, designer goods, and high-end homes. Evidence presented at trial included pictures showing large amounts of cash on hand, gold jewelry purchased in Dubai, and a brand-new Porsche seized from one defendant’s residence, along with financial records for a $1.1 million property that he bought to construct a custom-built lake house, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
In other instances, individuals allegedly had family members still living in the homes that they were accused of purchasing with their ill-got gains.
THESE ARE THE WALZ APPOINTEES WHO FAILED TO STOP RAMPANT MINNESOTA FRAUD
Meanwhile, recently convicted fraudster Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, who was ordered on Nov. 24 to pay nearly $48 million in restitution, spent a bulk of his profits on jewelry and a honeymoon trip to the Maldives.
The Washington Examiner contacted Walz’s office for comment.
