Hi everyone,
Tim Walz has been the governor of a state that has allowed out-and-out fraud by an immigrant community, but he lays the blame at the feet of Donald Trump, because of course he did. Walz defended himself against Trump's claim that he was to blame for the absolute dereliction in his state, but the facts of the case are hard to gloss over. In response to the revelations, Trump called Walz the "seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota."
"The seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both, while the worst ''Congressman/woman' in our Country, Ilhan Omar, always wrapped in her swaddling hijab, and who probably came into the U.S.A. illegally in that you are not allowed to marry your brother, does nothing but hatefully complain about our Country, its Constitution, and how “badly” she is treated, when her place of origin is a decadent, backward, and crime ridden nation, which is essentially not even a country for lack of Government, Military, Police, schools, etc," Trump write.
Dozens of people who have been charged with felonies. Hundreds of millions of dollars were stolen from programs to feed children during Covid, to treat autism, and to fleece other social safety net programs in the state. The massive scheme went on for five years and was carried out primarily and almost exclusively by those in the Somali immigrant community and their heirs.
Perpetrators of the fraud took millions in government funds, claiming to provide services that were never provided. In the case of the autism services, the proprietor of the program taking the money gave kick-backs to parents who signed their kids up for the fake services.
59 people have been convicted. More than $1 billion was stolen. There are three plots under investigation. Tim Walz is being asked to explain it, but he can't. There were plenty of red flags, but the state's Democratic leaders and program heads were hesitant to bring attention to the fraud because they didn't want to be called racist.
While the convictions continue, the representatives of the Somali community speak out to say that not all Somalians in Minnesota can be painted with the brush of fraud. And of course that's true but there's something more: these fraud schemes were perpetrated by dozens of people but they required the help of hundreds more.
Those parents who allowed the fake autism program to sign up their children under the false pretense that they had autism, only to take kickbacks, were guilty of fraud. Those who pretended to use the services that were being funded and not provided were at fault. Those who allowed it to continue knowingly were at fault. And those who allowed a culture of lies to take hold in this community are at fault as well.
A community that is comfortable with lies of this size is not one that is accustomed to or values a high-trust society. America, at its best, is a place where we trust each other, where we can offer social safety net systems and know they go to only those in need. Those who come here should aspire to that.
Libby