Fake Day Care Centers, a Magnet for Scammers, Media & Politicians Silent in Fraudesota

The Ben Ferguson Podcast

iHeartPodcasts

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.9 • 4.7K Ratings

🗓️ 3 January 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Scope of Fraud
- Fraud schemes involve billions of dollars across programs such as childcare assistance, healthcare billing, nutrition programs, and pandemic relief funds.
- A major case cited is the Feeding Our Future scandal, which misappropriated $300 million in COVID-19 relief funds intended for child nutrition.
Investigations and Enforcement
- The FBI, led by Director Kash Patel, has surged resources to Minnesota, dismantling a $250 million fraud scheme tied to federal food aid programs.
- 78 indictments and 57 convictions have already occurred, with ongoing investigations expected to uncover more.
- The Department of Homeland Security is also conducting enforcement actions, including potential denaturalization and deportation proceedings for convicted fraudsters.
Whistleblower and Media Role
- A 23-year-old independent journalist, Nick Shirley, exposed the scandal through a viral 42-minute video showing empty daycare centers receiving millions in taxpayer funds.
- The video sparked national outrage and raised questions about media negligence in investigating such fraud.
Political Reactions
- Prominent figures like JD Vance, Elon Musk, and members of Congress have amplified the story, calling for accountability.
- Political tension is evident, with Democrats accused of ignoring or covering up the fraud, while Republicans push for investigations.
- Governor Tim Walz faces criticism for allegedly downplaying the issue and blaming Republicans.
Community and Demographics
- The fraud is reported to be concentrated within Minnesota’s Somali community, though the document stresses that facts are not intended as racial criticism.
- Allegations include links to overseas terrorist organizations, which the Treasury Department is investigating.
Broader Implications
- The scandal is symptomatic of systemic corruption, with suggestions that similar fraud may exist in other states.
- Congressional insider trading controversies, citing Ilhan Omar’s reported net worth increase and calls by Senator Mark Kelly to ban stock trading for lawmakers.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:02.3	Guaranteed Human.
0:05.3	Minnesota's Somali fraud scandal has exploded.
0:09.6	And now the FBI director, Cash Patel, is confirming that the FBI has surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle the large-scale fraud schemes
0:23.6	exploiting federal programs describing the current events as just a tip of a very large iceberg.
0:32.3	The new claim is hundreds of millions in fake daycares.
0:37.2	Your tax dollars going to these centers. All of this
0:41.0	being exposed by a 23-year-old YouTuber who did the job that no one in the media was willing to do.
0:49.0	Now, the Bureau says that it has identified and dismantled a $250 million fraud scheme tied to federal food aid programs,
1:00.7	leading to 78 indictments and 57 convictions.
1:07.2	Casper tell also stated that some convicted fraudsters are being referred for denaturalization and deportation proceedings
1:16.5	where eligible signaling serious legal consequences beyond prison sentences.
1:23.2	And the broader scope of the fraud is now being exposed.
1:27.3	Federal prosecutors are now estimating
1:29.6	that fraud across multiple programs in Minnesota alone will total into the billions of dollars,
1:37.2	with part of the spotlight falling on social services, childcare assistance, health care billing, and nutrition programs.
1:46.6	In other words, if there was a government program, it was being abused by the fraudsters.
1:53.2	Now, the FBI is continuing, they say, an ongoing investigation and their expectations for
2:00.4	more prosecutions and potential recoveries
2:03.2	of misused taxpayer funds. National figures, including Elon Musk and political leaders such as
2:09.4	JD Vance and Representative Tom Emmer, have amplified the incredible undercover video that exposed all of this, pushing for accountability and
2:20.3	broader investigations into alleged misuse of taxpayer funds. And it may not just be Minnesota,
	...

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