This week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on fraud and the theft of taxpayer dollars. We heard expert testimony from Nick Shirley, who helped uncover Minnesota’s massive fraud scandal, and Jennifer Larson, CEO of the Holland Autism Center, who delivered real services to children with autism after her own son’s diagnosis.

But in heartbreaking and infuriating fashion because Minnesota leaders like Tim Walz refused to crack down on fraudsters, legitimate clinics like hers have had their Medicaid payments paused. You can watch my exchange with Mrs. Larson here.

The crooks cashed in, and the kids got kicked aside.

I bring this up not just because the situation is a disgrace to the hardworking Americans who followed the rules and are running legitimate businesses, but because this fraud didn’t just drain Minnesota. It hit all of us. They didn’t just steal state dollars… they also stole federal tax dollars.

In the hearing, we also heard from Scott Dexter, a former fraud investigator with Minnesota’s Department of Human Services from 2013-2019. Mr. Dexter uncovered overbilling, missing attendance records, and fraudulent claims in the Child Care Assistance Program, much of it concentrated in Somali-run operations.

When he tried to report what he found in his investigation, he was smeared as “racially biased,” even though every lead he followed came directly from funding data. You can watch him explain this to me here and read his testimony here.

Instead of cracking down on fraudsters, the “leadership” in Minnesota cracked down on the investigators, pushing Dexter to retire in 2019. Everyone involved in this cover-up, including state leaders, must be held accountable.

This was a criminal enterprise. Fraudsters opened fake centers, billed for children who did not exist, stole the tax dollars meant for hungry children, autism services, housing, and daycares, and then blew the money on lavish vacations and luxury cars. They even financed foreign terrorism, with funds reportedly ending up in the coffers of Al-Shabaab.

Minnesota wasn’t just asleep at the wheel… they handed the wheel to the fraudsters. And the warnings don’t stop at the state line.

A former fraud investigator testified that Governor Evers “allows fraud to occur” here in Wisconsin by blocking Food Stamp and Medicaid audits. As I’ve highlighted in past Telegrams, Evers vetoed four additional state auditor positions, and on top of that, Wisconsin’s Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul is suing – using your tax dollars – to block reviews of our Food Stamp, Medicaid, and voter rolls.

When I asked Nick Shirley what lesson we should “learn,” or better yet, “LEAR,” in honor of the now-shuttered fraudulent Somali daycare, he made one clear point. This isn’t just happening in Minnesota; it is happening everywhere. You can watch that clip here.

With all these warnings, it’s outrageous that Governor Evers refuses to open the books. You deserve transparency for your tax dollars, and I will keep fighting until every Wisconsin taxpayer knows exactly how their money is being spent.

We cannot allow Wisconsin to turn into fraud-filled Minnesota, where the people who truly need help are pushed aside because foreign fraudsters drained the system dry. Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram.