Tim Walz under fire after YouTuber reveals alleged $110mn Minnesota scam
The exposé adds to a widening scandal over fraud in the state’s social programs linked to the local Somali community
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has come under renewed scrutiny after a YouTuber exposed alleged $110 million child care and healthcare fraud in the state, adding fuel to a wider scandal over social service scams linked to the local Somali community.
A 42-minute video posted on X and YouTube on Friday by independent reporter Nick Shirley shows him visiting several Minnesota childcare and healthcare centers, including a Minneapolis site with a misspelled sign reading “Quality Learing Center.” The footage shows no visible activity despite the center being registered for 99 children and having reportedly received about $4 million in state funds.
Another segment shows Shirley visiting a building listed as housing 14 healthcare companies, none of which appear operational, before police escort him from the premises.
“Tim Walz and the fraudsters aren’t escaping this one,” Shirley wrote on X. “In one day my crew and I uncovered over $110 million in fraud – this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
???? Here is the full 42 minutes of my crew and I exposing Minnesota fraud, this might be my most important work yet. We uncovered over $110,000,000 in ONE day. Like it and share it around like wildfire! Its time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) December 26, 2025
We ALL… pic.twitter.com/E3Penx2o7a
The video quickly went viral, prompting lawmakers and other high-profile figures to demand answers from Minnesota authorities and Walz personally.
“4 million dollars of hard-earned tax dollars going to an education center that can’t even spell learning correctly. Care to explain this one, Tim Walz?” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, the third-ranking House Republican and a Minnesota congressman, wrote on X on Saturday.
4 million dollars of hard earned tax dollars going to and an education center that can’t even spell learning correctly.
— Tom Emmer (@tomemmer) December 26, 2025
Care to explain this one, @tim_walz? https://t.co/mGhS5IP4km
“Folks need to be arrested and prosecuted and the Governor of Minnesota needs to be held accountable,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-NY, posted.
Donald Trump Jr. urged followers to watch the footage in full, writing on X: “This is what they’re doing to your country with your tax dollars!!!” Billionaire Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk also shared the video, captioning his post: “Prosecute @GovTimWalz.”
If you haven’t watched this yet. Watch it. All of it. Understand that this is what journalists are supposed to do, but no one in the mainstream media will even bother to look let alone actually publish it. This is what they’re doing to your country with your tax dollars!!! https://t.co/kmZKnI3QWY
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 27, 2025
Prosecute @GovTimWalz https://t.co/oSQprdo292
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 27, 2025
The backlash comes as Walz’s administration grapples with billions of dollars in alleged social services fraud, including at least $1 billion tied to programs largely involving Minnesota’s Somali-American community. Reports suggest that some fraudulent payments were routed overseas through informal networks, with millions possibly ending up outside the US, including with al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based al-Qaeda-linked terror group. Multiple federal, state, and congressional bodies are investigating the allegations.
READ MORE: Trump brands Somalis ‘garbage’
While Walz has pledged to jail fraudsters and launch a statewide scam prevention program with forensic auditors, President Donald Trump slammed him as “seriously retarded” and labeled Minnesota under his leadership “a hub of fraudulent money laundering.” He also announced he was ending Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, the legal safeguard against deportation for certain immigrants. Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the scandal on Saturday, calling the situation in Minnesota “a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system.”
What's happening in Minnesota is a microcosm of the immigriation fraud in our system. Politicans like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 27, 2025
But it's a zero sum game, and they're stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans. https://t.co/AHLc0QuaiP