Somali Fraud EXPOSED: Rep. Gill Shuts Down Democrat Claims

and our chair recognizes Mr. Gill from Texas for the first question.

Thank you Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing so expeditiously. We all know this is an important issue not just in terms of welfare fraud but also immigration more broadly so we appreciate it and thank you for the witnesses for taking the time to come here. I want to start with you Mr.. Balu. Again, thank you for being here. Let me ask you, does large-scale Somali immigration make Minnesota stronger or weaker? Certainly stronger.

Certainly stronger. Do you know what percentage of Somali-headed households in Minnesota are on food stamps?

No.

Fifty-four percent. Do you know what that number is for native Minnesota-headed households? Well, to be clear, a majority of the Somali... It's 7%. There's a big difference between 54% and 7%, is there not?

Excuse me, sir.

Could I answer the question? Let me move on. We've got a lot of questions here. What percentage of Somali-headed households in Minnesota are on Medicaid?

I don't know.

It's 73%. 73% do you know what that number is for Minnesota native households again? You're using the phrase Minnesota native households, but the majority number if the number is 18% That's a quite an astounding difference. I think we would can I answer the question, please? Let me ask you one more and then we can go on to that What percentage of Somali headed households are on welfare in general? I don't know. It's 81% What about let me just ask you after 10 years of being in the United States, what

percentage of Somali immigrant households are on, continue to be on welfare?

I don't know.

The number is 78%. So even after 10 years, 78% of Somali immigrant households continue to be on welfare. Do you know what that number is for native Minnesota headed households? Again, you're using the phrase. Non-Somali immigrant headed households.

If I can just answer the question.

Go for it.

You're using the phrase native Minnesotans. The majority of Somali Minnesotans are as Minnesotan as any of us. They were born in the United States.

It's only 8,000 of the 108,000 Somalis in the state. And nevertheless, the welfare usage is astoundingly different. Let me ask you again, does that make Minnesota stronger or weaker?

Again, I'd like the opportunity to answer the question here.

Go for it.

So again, the majority of Somali Minnesotans are born in the United States, as I understand it. Okay, well what percentage of working age Somalians who have been in the U.S. for 10 years or more, 10 years or more, how many of them speak English very well?

I don't know.

About half. The answer is about half. That seems pretty low, doesn't it?

Again, I keep trying to make...

That doesn't sound like something that makes our country stronger to me, and I think most Americans would agree with me on that. I need to move on. Ms. Robbins, when would you say we concretely knew that widespread welfare fraud was occurring in Minnesota?

There have been reports since 2009 from the Office of Legislative Auditor. I would say the credible reports on child care fraud started surfacing 2011 to 2013.

So for over a decade.

Yes, sir.

When do you think Governor Walz knew about this fraud?

From the very beginning. He was running for governor in 2018 when there were prosecutions going on, when there was an OLA report, active cases in the news all the time.

And what was the Walz administration's response?

They actually did nothing when they got into office and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan had been on the committee in the legislature that had hearings on child care fraud and when they got into office they did put $5 million into a little more money but nothing

changed. But nothing. And let me ask you, Mr. Hudson, thank you for being here. Did those who commit this fraud, do they typically vote for Republicans or Democrats, in your opinion? In my opinion, thank you for qualifying like that, I would say they most definitely overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. Do they typically donate to Republicans or Democrats?

Not to my knowledge. They don't donate to Republicans, they donate to Democrats, in my opinion, yes.

Got it. So would you say this is, uh, the Somali population is an important demographic for Democrats to win over politically?

Unquestionably.

Got it. And do you think it would have hurt Democrats' political standing with the Somali population to investigate this fraud? Very clearly. Got it. So in other words, you're saying that there was a political incentive to cover up widespread Somali fraud.

Is that right? One hundred percent. Got it. Let me ask all three of you, did the Walz administration and Democrats intentionally, in your opinion, overlook this fraud while it was happening for political gain? I'll start with you, Ms. Robbins.

Absolutely. We have credible whistleblower reports that the Department of Human Services Administration up to the OIG and the Commissioner met with a group called the Minnesota Minority Child Care Association multiple times and that they were trying to weaken protections. We wanted, we had several changes we wanted to do and they opposed all of them. And Mr.

Hudson and Ms. Rarick and then my time is up. I would agree. Absolutely. The whistleblowers confirm it. Hudson and Ms. Rarick and then my time is up. I would agree. Absolutely. The whistleblowers confirm it. Got it. Thank you.