Feds say Minnesota fraud scandal could amount to $9B — as critics blame local media’s weak coverage on fears of seeming ‘racist’

Fox News via NY Post ^ | 12/21/25 | Andrew Mark Miller

[Libloather]

Minnesota’s sprawling fraud crisis has garnered national headlines in recent weeks, but several critics say the problem festered for years, aided by local media that appeared uninterested in holding people in power accountable.

“In newsrooms, they’re told, ‘We can’t run that because we’re going to be accused of being racist,’” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage recently told Fox News Digital about news outlets in Minnesota essentially enabling the fraud by not calling out shocking taxpayer waste occurring primarily within the local Somali community.

The outlet that is considered by many the top news source in the region, the Minnesota Star Tribune, has faced criticism on social media in recent days over some of its headlines, including “Minnesota Somali community grapples with fraud cases while pushing back against stereotypes” on Nov. 26 and “Trump claims Minnesota lost billions to fraud. The evidence to date isn’t close” on Dec. 11.

On Thursday, federal prosecutors held a press conference where they revealed that the true scope of the fraud scandal could end up costing taxpayers around $9 billion, prompting some conservatives on social media to point out the Dec. 11 headline.

“The Minnesota Star Tribune masquerades as a newspaper,” The Post’s Miranda Devine posted on X. “It’s actually a Democrat front, hiding news, twisting facts, lying outright. One of the worst in the country.”

Additionally, the paper’s CEO is Steve Grove, who served as Gov. Tim Walz’s former commissioner of employment and economic development, which has sparked criticism from some who say that the paper is hesitant to pin Walz to the fraud crisis.

Fox News Digital spoke to several locals who argued that media outlets either didn’t cover the scandal thoroughly enough or, in cases where it was covered, Walz’s oversight role was downplayed.

[vmpolesov]

This is good in a perverse way. It calls attention to fraud. $9B got people’s attention but I think more like $90B would be more like it to get people’s attention good and hard as they say.

[vmpolesov]

I wonder, the remittances, suitcases of cash, hawalas, whatever, back to Somalia may have been a significant chunk of its GDP. What side effects will be seen from cutting off this pipeline (assuming that happens)? More piracy on the high seas?

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Maybe we need to become a bit more racist—Black are, they blame all their problems on the white man. If 305 of all crime is done by one race—something is really wrong.

[Kid Shelleen]

California says “Hold my beer”.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Here's the core of the Let's twisted worldview that infects everything they think and do:

If you are poor, uneducated, or generally unsuccessful in life for whatever reason, you are presumed to be virtuous. That presumption is so strong that it even applies those life failures who have committed crimes. None of them are truly bad or evil because leftist simply don't believe in that.

But if you are generally successful in life - especially if you are wealthy and white, you are presumed to be evil, or at least motivated by evil intentions.

Life failure equals virtue, and life success equals vice. They take it so far that they reject completely the idea of moral hazards as it applies to anyone who is poor. To them, you don't need any kind of fraud or anti-theft protections because the poor wouldn't do that. And if they did, it would be justified or at least excusable anyway.

Failure is a sign of virtue, success a sign of vice.

[chopperk]

Send all Minnesolimans back to Africa carrying a muslim on their backs..

[lurk]

The investigation is i. The talking about it stage,which is on a 48 month deadline.

[CFW]

Freepers have been posting articles about the Minnesota fraud for several years. Mainstream media have (for the most part) ignored the fraud until now. Now they are treating it as “breaking news” with some even pretending they are doing “exclusive” reporting.

Here is a thread from 2018.

“Minnesota child day care fraud cash going to terrorists? Let’s unpack this.”

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3655710/posts

[Bullish]

It’s not racist to hate grifting thieves. What’s racist is thinking that you shouldn’t because of skin color. Skin color shouldn’t have anything to do with it one way or the other.

[No Party Affiliation]

Great, now “oppressed minorities” have the full imprimatur of the government to steal taxpayers blind.

[Liz]

STEPHEN MILLER, DEPUTY COS FOR POLICY AND HOMELAND SECURITY:
<><>Wrt Minnesota, Ohio and Massachusetts
<><>Somali refugees were dumped here by Democrats.
<><>we should not be shocked at the gross Somali thievery.
<><>Democrats imported a population whose primary occupation is piracy,
<><>so you know they are going to steal everything in sight.
<><>Somalia’s only industry after hundreds of years is piracy, fraud and stealing
<><>the Somali pirates have stolen billions of tax dollars,
<><>now they have to go home
<><>Walz says that’s mean and it’s unfair.
<><>Walz is a corrupt, incompetent loser Democrat
<><>Walz presided over the largest theft of American tax dollars that will never be equaled.

[Fireone]

That racist crap is worn out, and not relevant anyway.
The MN media has always covered for the most inept Democrats in office.
Look who they send to D.C., idiots like Klobuchar & Smith for Senators? Please! Ilhan Fubar, Dean Phillips?
Walz, Ellison, Klobuchar, Omar, Frey, Flanagan, all should be on trial for malfeasance, conspiracy, aiding & abetting fraud, and a laundry list of other crimes.