Kennedy Demands Accountability: “Lock Them Up!”—Senator Goes Nuclear Over Minnesota’s Billion-Dollar Welfare Fraud Scandal

Washington, D.C. — In a searing speech that sent shockwaves through the Senate chamber and reverberated across the nation, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) unleashed a blistering attack on Minnesota politicians and welfare administrators, demanding criminal prosecution for those involved in what he described as “one of the most disgusting frauds” ever perpetrated against the American taxpayer. Kennedy’s remarks, delivered with his trademark wit and candor, exposed the details of a billion-dollar welfare fraud scheme centered in Minnesota’s Somali community—and the political cowardice that, he argued, allowed it to flourish.

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An American Tradition of Generosity—And Its Betrayal

Kennedy began by praising the generosity of the American people, reminding his colleagues that “when you are hungry, we feed you. When you are homeless, we house you. When you’re too poor to be sick, we’ll pay for your doctor.” He noted that the U.S. spends trillions of dollars every year to help the less fortunate—money that comes directly from taxpayers’ pockets.

But that generosity, he warned, is not without limits. “That’s why I get so irritated—angry, really—when I find out that people take advantage of the American people’s generosity,” Kennedy declared. “It makes me want to knee someone in the groin. It just makes me furious, and I think the American taxpayers feel the same way.”

A Fraud So Shocking, “It’s Clown World on Steroids”

Kennedy recounted his reaction upon learning the details of the Minnesota fraud. “What I’m about to tell you is deeply disgusting. It is clown world on steroids,” he said. The Senator described reading the reports twice, barely able to believe what he was seeing: “I experienced slack-jawed astonishment… I just wanted to run away screaming.”

The fraud, Kennedy explained, was uncovered by federal prosecutors and had been ongoing for at least five years. The total: over $1 billion in taxpayer money stolen—“just stolen,” Kennedy emphasized. “They can call it fraud, but a better term would be stealing.”

Three Elaborate Schemes—And No Help for the Needy

Kennedy detailed three major schemes at the heart of the scandal, each more egregious than the last:

Feeding Our Future Scam:
A nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, run by individuals of Somali ancestry, claimed to be feeding hungry children in the Minneapolis Somali community. They solicited federal funds through state welfare authorities, promising to set up feeding sites and distribute hot meals. The program ballooned from a few million dollars to $100 million per year. But, Kennedy revealed, “there were no hungry children. The businesses were spending the money on yachts, vacations, jewelry, and furniture for their homes.”
Homeless Housing Fraud:
A second nonprofit, again founded by someone of Somali ancestry, claimed to provide housing for the homeless. Funding requests soared from $2.6 million in 2020 to $104 million per year. “None of the money was going for housing. These providers just put the money in their pocket,” Kennedy said.
Autism Program Kickbacks:
The third scheme targeted autistic children. Providers, led by Asha Farban Hassan (also involved in the feeding scam), could not find enough autistic children to justify their funding requests. Instead, they bribed Somali parents—offering $400 to $1,500 per child—to certify them as autistic. The scam grew from $3 million in its first year to $400 million by 2023.

In total, Kennedy said, “these crooks stole $1 billion of taxpayer money.”

State Employees Sounded the Alarm—But Politicians Did Nothing

Kennedy was careful to distinguish between the “rank and file employees” of Minnesota’s welfare agencies and the politicians who oversaw them. He recounted how state employees became suspicious as claims skyrocketed and attempted to investigate. But when they confronted Feeding Our Future, they were met with threats: “If you stop giving us this money, we’re going to call you racist and sue you. You don’t want to be in the news.”

The threat worked. According to Kennedy, the Minnesota legislative auditor and fraud investigators confirmed that “the threat of litigation and negative press affected how the state politicians used their regulatory power.” The Somali community, a core voting bloc for Democrats in Minneapolis, was considered politically untouchable. As one fraud investigator put it, “forcefully tackling this issue would cause political backlash from the Somali community, which is a core voting block for Democrats.”

Whistleblowers Face Retaliation

Hundreds of state employees from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Kennedy said, posted a public statement: “Governor Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota… We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on… Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation by Tim Walz and an indifferent mainstream media. It’s scary, isolating, and left us wondering who we can turn to.”

Allegations of Terrorist Funding

Perhaps the most explosive allegation came from a report in the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal, which claimed that a portion of the stolen funds may have been funneled to the Somali terrorist organization Al-Shabaab. “They are alleging that at least a portion of it went to a terrorist organization in Somalia… It’s an organization called Al-Shabaab. They hate Americans. They’re terrorists. They want to kill Americans and drink their blood out of the boot,” Kennedy said. He cautioned that the investigation is ongoing, but added, “the prosecutors are trying to get to the bottom of it.”

“It’s Not About Race—It’s About Crooks”

Anticipating accusations of racism, Kennedy was adamant: “Facts aren’t racist. Facts are facts. Everything I just gave you are facts, Mr. President. Has nothing to do with race. But it is a fact that these billion-dollar schemes were cooked up by leaders in the Somali community, in Minneapolis and Minnesota. And it is a fact that most of the businesses that participated in this fraud were run by people of Somali ancestry.”

He continued, “I’m not here to denigrate the Somali people or people of Somali ancestry just because of the actions of a few. But we ought not to ignore the facts.”

A Failure of Political Courage

Kennedy’s greatest ire was reserved for Minnesota’s political leadership. “The politicians did nothing,” he thundered. “Because they wanted votes, they allowed people in their state who were crooks to steal $1 billion from the American taxpayer—money that could have gone to people who really were homeless, children who really were hungry, and kids who really were autistic.”

Kennedy concluded, “These people ought to all be put in jail—including the politicians.”

A Nation in Need of Reform

Pivoting from the scandal, Kennedy addressed broader economic anxieties facing American families: inflation, the rising cost of living, and stagnant wages. He called for bipartisan action on tax and regulatory reform, and a healthcare system “that looks like somebody designed the damn thing on purpose.” He urged his colleagues to focus on real solutions for working Americans.

“Justice Is Not Racist—It’s Necessary”

Kennedy’s speech ended with a call for the truth, regardless of political correctness. “The American people need to know the truth. A lot of members of the media won’t report this. They say you can’t talk about it because it’s racist. This has nothing to do with race. Everything I said is factual. What’s racist about facts?”

The Fallout: Will Justice Be Served?

As the investigation continues, Kennedy’s fiery words have put renewed pressure on Minnesota’s political establishment and federal prosecutors to hold all perpetrators accountable—no matter their status or connections. For the taxpayers who footed the bill, and for the vulnerable citizens the programs were meant to help, the demand is clear: justice must be served.