Bondi Sends More Prosecutors To Minnesota As Somali Fraud Scandal Explodes
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that the Department of Justice is sending additional federal prosecutors to Minnesota as a sprawling fraud investigation tied to Somali-run nonprofit organizations continues to widen.
“The Department of Justice is dispatching a team of prosecutors to Minnesota to reinforce our U.S. Attorney’s Office and put the perpetrators of this widespread fraud behind bars,” Bondi told Fox News.
Bondi promised “severe consequences in Minnesota,” making clear that the effort will not stop there. She added that the DOJ stands “ready to deploy to any other state where similar fraud schemes are robbing American taxpayers.”
A senior Justice Department official confirmed to Fox News that similar prosecutorial reinforcements are being considered for other states where comparable fraud patterns have emerged.
Bondi’s remarks, first reported by the New York Post, come as federal authorities continue a sweeping welfare fraud investigation that originated during the tenure of former Attorney General Merrick Garland. In 2022, Garland announced the first wave of indictments in what prosecutors described as a $250 million fraud scheme centered on the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future. At the time, Garland called it the largest pandemic-era relief fraud uncovered in the country.
Under Attorney General Bondi, the Justice Department has expanded those efforts, continuing to pursue cases linked to Feeding Our Future while also investigating related allegations involving juror bribery and health care fraud. Bondi has stated that the full scope of the operation is larger than initially believed and that additional charges are expected as prosecutors dig deeper.
According to DOJ officials, 98 individuals have been charged in Minnesota-related fraud cases so far, with 64 convictions already secured. Court records indicate that a majority of those charged are of Somali descent.
The Trump administration — including the White House, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security — has sharpened its focus on immigration enforcement and fraud prevention within Minnesota’s Somali community, which is estimated to include roughly 100,000 residents. Administration officials cite concerns over large-scale fraud and national security vulnerabilities, while critics argue that only a small fraction of the community is implicated and accuse President Donald Trump of advancing policies they label discriminatory.
Federal scrutiny has intensified beyond criminal prosecutions. Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a freeze on billions of dollars in federal funding for childcare and social service programs across five Democrat-led states, including Minnesota, as investigators review how taxpayer funds are being spent, according to Fox.
Public attention on the issue surged in December after a viral video by YouTube creator Nick Shirley showed him visiting multiple Somali-run daycare centers that appeared to be closed during business hours. The video racked up millions of views across social media platforms, fueling renewed debate over oversight and accountability. Some of the daycare centers featured have since pushed back, denying any fraudulent activity.
Beyond the Minnesota probe, Bondi has signaled a broader reckoning within the Justice Department. Earlier this week, she confirmed the opening of a criminal investigation into what she described as a decade-long “lawfare conspiracy” that began during the Obama-Biden era. According to Bondi, the alleged scheme was designed to shield Democrats from accountability while targeting President Donald Trump and his supporters.
In written responses to Just the News, Bondi said federal prosecutors and agents are actively investigating the “weaponization of government” dating back to the 2016 Russia-collusion hoax and continuing through subsequent election cycles. She described the effort as an ongoing conspiracy — a legal approach that allows investigators to pursue accountability beyond standard statutes of limitation by treating each act as part of a continuing criminal enterprise.
“At my direction, our U.S. Attorneys and federal agents are actively investigating instances of government weaponization nationwide,” Bondi said. “This is a ten-year stain on the country committed by high-ranking officials against the American people. Under President Trump, we are fixing the damage and delivering justice.”