From the Washington Examiner: As allegations of fraud sweep Minnesota’s Somali community, some local politicians who identify with it and have long benefitted from its campaign contributions may find themselves in a tough place.
People of Somali descent working in autism services, child care, and elder assistance, three areas that have recently been hit with accusations of foul play, donate tens of thousands of dollars to Somali politicians in Minnesota each year, all of them Democrats. State Sen. Omar Fateh, a 2025 Minneapolis mayoral candidate, and a handful of Somali state legislators have been among the biggest beneficiaries of such funds.
Somali community care providers have donated at least $138,000 to Minnesota politicians of Somali descent since 2020, according to a Washington Examiner analysis of state and Minneapolis municipal campaign finance records.
The true quantity of donations is likely much higher, as scores of Somali donors listed their occupations as “self-employed” without disclosing the industries they work in or providing any employment details. At least some of these people almost certainly work in community care. While tens of thousands of dollars may not go a long way in federal campaigns, it stretches much further in state and municipal elections.
The report explains that many of the Somali politicians receiving the fund are then using their influence and position to push legislation that would benefit Somalis in their community.
Some of the individuals mentioned in the report who received funds from the Somali “care providers” include:
- Hodan Hassan, who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025
- State Sen. Omar Fateh
- Abdi Daisane, a Somali and former state congressional candidate
- U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (
READ MORE from the Washington Examiner.
As allegations of fraud sweep Minnesota’s Somali community, some local politicians who identify with and have long benefitted from their campaign contributions may find themselves in a tough place. https://t.co/y4a8bOEfKq
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 2, 2026
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