From the Daily Mail: A former UN weapons inspector is convinced al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in Somalia almost certainly got their hands on money looted from Minnesota’s welfare system, in what is fast becoming one of the biggest fraud scandals in US history.
Matt Bryden – who for four years ran the UN Security Council’s monitoring mission for Somalia and Eritrea – told the Daily Mail he believes al-Shabaab militants likely skimmed off a slice of cash siphoned from Minnesota’s pandemic-era feeding program and wired it to the Horn of Africa.
‘Al-Shabaab taxes everything it can, including remittance companies,’ said Bryden, now a strategist with the Nairobi-based consultancy Sahan. ‘Where the money comes from or who receives it is incidental – it’s the business that is taxed, not the transaction.’
His comments bolster claims from conservative researchers and Republican officials who argue that Minnesota’s Somali-American fraudsters not only plundered their state’s generous welfare system but also fed money into one of the world’s most feared Islamist insurgencies.
Over 50 people have already been convicted for their involvement in the fraud schemes, and dozens more are being investigated.
It is believed that the total amount stolen overall could well exceed $1 billion. Much of the stolen cash was reportedly sent back to Somalia or used to buy properties across East Africa.
Bryden told the Daily Mail that al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda affiliate in Somali, is ruthless, ideological and highly efficient at raising cash. The Daily Mail wrote:
Their tax collectors operate like a parallel government. They shake down farmers, truckers, importers, shopkeepers – anyone trying to make a living.
And they have developed an especially lucrative grip on the money-remittance businesses, the lifeline that sends some $1.5billion a year from overseas Somalis to their families back home. The network is known as hawala – an informal, trust-based system.
READ MORE from the Daily Mail.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced last week, “At my direction, @USTreasury is investigating allegations that under the feckless mismanagement of the Biden Administration and Governor Tim Walz, hardworking Minnesotans’ tax dollars may have been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab. Thanks to the leadership of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, we are acting fast to ensure Americans’ taxes are not funding acts of global terror. We will share our findings as our investigation continues..”
In an update on December 7, the Treasury Department wrote, “Millions of taxpayer dollars stolen in the Minnesota fraud scheme were sent to Somalia through money transfer businesses. Treasury is tracking those money transfers and will use the full range of our legal authorities to hold those involved accountable.”
Millions of taxpayer dollars stolen in the Minnesota fraud scheme were sent to Somalia through money transfer businesses.
Treasury is tracking those money transfers and will use the full range of our legal authorities to hold those involved accountable. https://t.co/VjElGX6Not
— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) December 7, 2025
The City Journal was sounding the alarm about some of the fraud schemes as far back as 2018, but it was largely ignored.
Millions of taxpayer dollars have been stolen through a massive scam of Minnesota’s social-services sector and have wound up in areas of Somalia controlled by al-Shabab, the Islamic jihadist group. https://t.co/jLux8oW4eY
— City Journal (@CityJournal) May 25, 2018
EXCLUSIVE: @RK_Thorpe and I have new reporting on America’s Somali fraud rings, which have stolen billions in taxpayer funds—and sent some to Islamist terrorists back home.
“The Largest Funder of Al-Shabaab Is the Minnesota Taxpayer.”https://t.co/RDgnKXAnyP
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@christopherrufo) November 19, 2025
Benjamin Weingarten of The Federalist announced Monday:
While originally reported that Rep. Ilhan Omar received campaign contributions from three of the Feeding Our Food scandal fraudsters totaling $7,400, evidence from campaign finance filings suggests she has actually received funds from at least eight individuals charged or associated in evidence at trial totaling nearly double that amount.
Court documents also show that the U.S. government obtained at least some records connecting Rep. Omar to the fraudsters.
A further review of evidence indicates that reporting likely understates the congresswoman’s ties to the scandal. I’ve got the receipts at the link that follows 👇
While originally reported that Rep. Ilhan Omar received campaign contributions from three of the Feeding Our Food scandal fraudsters totaling $7,400, evidence from campaign finance filings suggests she has actually received funds from at least eight individuals charged or… pic.twitter.com/H8OQXgrjiD
— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) December 8, 2025
CC: @christopherrufo @scottwjohnson @billglahn @realDSteinberg @GrageDustin @psamsundar @Chadwick_Moore @mirandadevine
— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) December 8, 2025
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