Battenfeld: Marty Walsh choice for VP under fire in children’s food scandal
A significant scandal is unfolding in Minnesota, where federal prosecutors have charged dozens of individuals in connection with a staggering $1 billion fraud scheme involving social service programs, particularly a food nutrition initiative for children. This scandal has raised serious questions about the oversight of Governor Tim Walz’s administration, which reportedly ignored multiple warning signs due to the political support it received from the Somali immigrant community. The fallout from this scandal has not only implicated members of the Somali community but has also brought scrutiny to Walz, who was vetted for vice president by Marty Walsh, a former Boston mayor and current executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association.
The allegations suggest that fraud has deeply infiltrated Minnesota’s Somali diaspora, with numerous individuals profiting from fictitious companies that billed the state for millions in social services that were never delivered. The New York Times highlighted how this scheme began as early as 2022, when state agencies reimbursed a nonprofit for thousands of meals that never existed, with the funds instead being funneled into personal luxuries like cars and real estate. As the scandal continues to develop, it has sparked a heated debate about the implications for Minnesota’s social service programs and the potential damage to the reputation of the Somali community, which has been a vital part of the state’s fabric. Critics argue that Walz’s administration failed to act decisively against the fraud, fearing backlash from a community that has historically supported him.
The controversy has drawn national attention, particularly as former President Donald Trump has seized the opportunity to criticize both the Somali community and Walz’s handling of the situation. Trump’s comments, which suggest that Somali immigrants are “taking over” Minnesota, have been met with strong rebuttals from Walz, who defended the contributions of Somali Americans to the state. In a recent interview, Walz condemned the demonization of the community and emphasized their positive impact on Minnesota. As investigations continue, questions loom regarding the extent of the corruption and the potential involvement of notable figures, including U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, whose former aide has already pleaded guilty to related charges. The unfolding events in Minnesota highlight the intersection of immigration, community support, and governmental accountability, raising critical discussions about the integrity of social service programs designed to aid the most vulnerable populations.
The man Marty Walsh vetted for vice president is engulfed in scandal in his home state of Minnesota, where Somali immigrants are accused of a massive ripoff of the state’s social service programs to the tune of $1 billion.
Dozens of people have been charged by federal prosecutors with fraud in connection with the stolen funds, mostly from a food nutrition program for children overseen by Governor and former Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz.
Walz’s administration reportedly overlooked numerous red flags about the program because the Somali community supported him politically.
Walz, handpicked by Walsh, who was part of the Democratic ticket’s vetting process, would be the vice president if Kamala Harris had defeated Donald Trump.
Walsh, the former Boston mayor and Labor Secretary, is the highly paid executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association but had close political connections to Kamala Harris while Harris was looking for a running mate.
“You can see why she chose (Walz),” Walsh told WBUR in an interview. “He’s run a state. He’s been in Congress. He’s a veteran. He did a lot of what American people are looking for.”
The American people averted that Democratic disaster of a ticket but Minnesota is now dealing with the incompetence and possible corruption of Walz’s administration.
Walz over the weekend blasted Trump for tying the scandal to the Somali migration to Minnesota. The state is home to the largest Somali community in the country, a total of more than 100,000, including U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.
In the wake of the scandal, the Trump administration on Friday ended legal protections for Somali migrants in The Gopher State.
“As far as demonizing our Somali community, maybe he could help us on some things,” Walz said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Demonizing an entire community, folks who are in the professions, educators, artists, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, they bring the diversity and the energy to a place like Minnesota.”
Trump posted on Thanksgiving that Somali migrants “are taking over this once great state of Minnesota” and accused Walz of incompetence.
And in a scathing post on X, employees of Minnesota’s Department of Health Services blasted Walz as dishonest and incompetent, saying he “has never taken any accountability for his role in fraud.”
The New York Times, in a lengthy expose, reported that “fraud took deep root in pockets of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora as scores of individuals made small fortunes by setting up companies that billed state agencies for millions of dollars’ worth of social services that were never provided.”
A total of 59 people have been convicted in the schemes to steal the safety net programs, prosecutors say.
Imagine the outrage of Massachusetts residents if these crimes had happened under the watch of Gov. Maura Healey.
But Walz, whose military service came under scrutiny during the Harris campaign, has denied any knowledge of the plot that was undertaken mostly by Somali migrants whom he has lauded as pillars of the community.
The corruption scheme could widen in the coming months.
A good question is what did Omar know about these stolen public funds, which were supposed to benefit poor children during the COVID epidemic? A former aide to Omar has already pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with the federal child nutrition program.
Some Somali Americans are concerned that the scandal has damaged the reputation of their community, but critics of Walz say he let the scandal go on because he was afraid of alienating Somalis who have been supportive of him.
Minnesota has attracted hundreds of thousands of immigrants mostly because of the state’s generous “Scandinavian-modeled” social service programs, according to the Times.
The schemes began with the food nutrition program as far back as 2022, when state agencies reimbursed a nonprofit organization for thousands of “nonexistent” meals. In reality most of the funds went toward paying for cars, houses and real estate projects, the Times reported.
Somali American citizens also are accused of ripping off a program to provide therapy for autistic children by funneling kickback money to parents.
The depth of the scandal, which is just hitting Minnesota residents, has pitted immigrants against other longtime residents.
“No one will support these programs if they continue to be riddled with fraud,” federal prosecutor Joseph H. Thompson told the Times. “We’re losing our way of life in Minnesota in a very real way.”
Former Boston Mayor and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald, File)
