A viral video focused on alleged fraud in Minnesota has reignited attention on claims of similar schemes in Ohio over the weekend.
Why It Matters
Dozens of people in Minnesota have been charged in connection with an alleged government fraud operation that gained national attention after Nick Shirley posted a viral video pointing to suspected wrongdoing at childcare centers. Prosecutors have said the alleged fraud could ultimately cost Minnesota billions. The case has also become culturally and politically charged: the Associated Press reports that 82 of the 92 defendants are Somali Americans.
As the story spread, Trump referred to the Somali American community as “garbage.” Critics have argued that an entire community should not be judged by the alleged actions of a subset of individuals, and that the scandal has heightened fear among Somali Americans.
The spotlight on Minnesota has now widened to include allegations of fraud in Ohio.
What to Know
Similar claims involving Ohio have surfaced before. In early December, conservative lawyer and Republican strategist Mehek Cooke told Fox News that Minnesota was “just the tip of the sphere.” She said many Somalians in Columbus are “great people,” “law-abiding citizens,” who “came here legally,” but argued the bigger concern is criminal exploitation of the system.
“The problem today is not the community. It’s actually the criminals within the community who have exploited Ohio’s Medicaid program,” she said, adding that Ohio’s system is, in her view, “one of the easiest in the Midwest to gain.”
Cooke claimed she has heard about “massive fraud” from people within the provider community. She alleged that some individuals have manipulated the program to receive funds for caring for family members who do not actually need services. In her framing, a program “built with compassion” is being “looted.”
Cooke made similar comments to conservative-leaning publication Breitbart News in remarks that have circulated widely on X, including being shared by Elon Musk.
“The fraud of your taxpayer money is happening nationwide and is liberally applied to attract illegal (and some legal) immigrants who will reliably vote Democrat. The more you look, the more you find. And you don’t need to be a world-class detective to figure it out. This is brazen, daylight robbery,” he wrote.
Ohio Republican Representative Max Miller also circulated a clip of Cooke’s remarks.
“Democrats dismissed Republicans’ warnings about rampant waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. As it turns out, those warnings were correct,” Miller said.
Local reporting in Columbus has also begun probing the issue. WSYX, an ABC affiliate, said it has submitted public-records requests related to daycare centers in the city after viewer questions.
Ohio’s attorney general has previously announced multiple Medicaid-related cases. According to press releases from Yost’s office, more than a dozen Medicaid providers have been accused of fraud. In October, eight providers were indicted over allegations of “phantom billing,” and in November, nine additional providers were announced as facing fraud charges.
“Cheating Medicaid earns you nothing but a court date and a criminal record,” Yost said at the time. “We’re working hard for Ohioans to recover ill-gotten gains and bring fraudsters to justice.”
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s office previously told Newsweek: “The Governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and asked the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. He has strengthened oversight – including launching investigations into these specific facilities, one of which was already closed. He has hired an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program entirely, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.”
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X: “The FBI is aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota. However, even before the public conversation escalated online, the FBI had surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs. Fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide. To date, the FBI dismantled a $250 million fraud scheme that stole federal food aid meant for vulnerable children during COVID. The investigation exposed sham vendors, shell companies, and large-scale money laundering tied to the Feeding Our Future network.”
What Happens Next
Patel has said the FBI had already increased staffing and investigative support in Minnesota before the viral video appeared online.
“We will continue to follow the money and protect children, and this investigation very much remains ongoing,” Patel wrote on X on Sunday.
