Corruption, like a virus, can spread until it devours its host. It comes in many forms, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, and fraud for personal gain. It is theft. Theft from the pubic and theft from government.
With all the corruption in the news lately in Minnesota has it ever crossed your mind that maybe you are missing out?
According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International, the least corrupt country in 2024 was Denmark. On a scale of 0 to 100, Denmark scored 90.
The United States of America was ranked 24th out of 180 countries on the list with a score of 69.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), hundreds of billions of dollars are lost to fraud each year. The GAO says on its website that fraud can occur within organized criminal enterprises, within groups organized around a specific program, or at the hands of individuals who exploit a program’s vulnerabilities.
The proverbial excrement hit the fan on Dec. 30 when independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a video online titled “I Investigated Minnesota’s Billion Dollar Fraud Scandal.”
In his 42-minute video, Shirley shows daycares in Minnesota — many linked to Somali immigrants — that appear not to be operating despite receiving millions of dollars in government funds.
Since his video Shirley, and his family, have received death threats, it is a sure sign that he is onto something big. On a Dec. 31 appearance on the PBD Podcast, Shirley said he was warned he would be “Kirked,” a reference to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X, “@TheJusticeDept has been investigating this for months. So far, we have charged 98 individuals – 85 of Somali descent – and more than 60 have been found guilty in court. We have more prosecutions coming…BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!”
This is just the tip of the iceberg. In another scandal, called “Feeding our Future,” upwards of $300 million was diverted away from programs set up to feed low-income children in Minnesota during the pandemic. Prosecutors say that some of the shell companies were run by Somali Minnesotans.
Criminals also apparently siphoned millions from Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services program.
Last Thursday, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it had uncovered nearly $400 million in possible fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans in Minnesota.
The SBA went on to report that at least $2.5 million in PPP and EIDL funds issued during the pandemic era were connected to a Somali fraud scheme based in Minneapolis.
Fox News reports that “lawmakers say the state’s oversight failures and political sensitivity around Somali-run nonprofits helped fuel the $1 billion welfare fraud scandal now under federal investigation.”
According to an opinion piece of Fox News by David Marcus, there is widespread indifference by the white population of Minnesota to all this corruption.
Corruption — as exposed in Minnesota — has many adverse effects on society, including reduced economic growth and investment, increased costs and reduced efficiency, erosion of trust in government institutions, and the undermining of social justice and human rights.
Would it surprise you that Somalia was dead last in the 2024 CPI ranking? Its score was eleven. This is nothing new for this African nation. Its score has ranged from eight in 2012 to a high of 13 in 2021.
Venezuela — also in the news lately — is one step above Somalia.
WealthyNickel.com ranked the 18 worst states in the United States for corruption last February. They rated Vermont as the most corrupt state. Minnesota was ranked eighth. Missouri didn’t make the list. The website based its ranking on research from 1990 to 2020. With all the new data, I bet Minnesota could move up to number one.
This is not the first corruption scandal Shirley has exposed. Three months ago, he brought to light ANTIFA corruption in Portland during Anti-ICE protests last fall. Apparently, it won’t be his last. On Jan. 1 he posted on X, “Just wait until I post part 2, they (referring to the legacy news media) are going to go insane.”
