The Christopher Rufo Substack post titled "The Largest Funder of Al-Shabaab" contains a mix of verified facts regarding massive fraud schemes and unverified allegations regarding the specific flow of that money to terrorist organizations.
Based on current public records and government reports, here is the breakdown of what is true and what is unproven in the post:
TRUE: Massive Fraud and Demographics
* The fraud is real and historic in scale: The "Feeding Our Future" scandal (approx. $250–$500 million) and the Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) fraud are real criminal conspiracies. They are among the largest pandemic-relief fraud schemes in the country.
* Indictments and Convictions: Federal prosecutors have charged over 70 individuals in the "Feeding Our Future" case and recently charged others in the HSS scheme. Many defendants have already pleaded guilty or been convicted.
* Demographics: As the post claims, the majority of the defendants in these specific cases are members of the Minnesota Somali community.
* Money sent abroad: Federal indictments and FBI testimony confirm that millions of dollars in stolen funds were laundered and sent overseas. Specifically, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that funds were used to purchase real estate and luxury assets in Kenya, Turkey, and Dubai, as well as residential property in the U.S.
UNVERIFIED / ALLEGED: The Al-Shabaab Connection
* "Largest Funder" claim: The specific claim that "The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer" is not an established fact recognized by public government reports. It is a quote from an anonymous "confidential source" cited by Rufo and his co-author.
* Context: Al-Shabaab's annual revenue is estimated by the UN and US Treasury to be over $100 million, primarily derived from taxation and extortion inside Somalia (e.g., taxing trade, checkpoints, and businesses). For the Minnesota fraud to be the "largest" funder, it would have to exceed these domestic revenue streams, which is a very high bar that has not been proven by public data.
* Terror Financing Charges: As of late 2025, no defendants in the "Feeding Our Future" or HSS cases have been publicly charged with "material support for terrorism." They are charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. While money laundering charges confirm funds were hidden and moved, they do not officially confirm the final destination was a terror group.
* Source of the Claim: The link to Al-Shabaab relies on Rufo's "federal counterterrorism sources." While it is plausible that illicit remittances (via hawalas) could reach Al-Shabaab (a concern the FBI has raised generally for over a decade), the direct link between these specific fraud dollars and Al-Shabaab's treasury is currently an allegation from their investigation, not an officially confirmed finding by the US Attorney's Office.
Summary
* True: Massive fraud occurred; money was stolen by a ring largely composed of Somali-Americans; millions were sent to East Africa and the Middle East (Kenya, Turkey, Dubai).
* Unproven: That this specific money is the primary or "largest" source of funding for Al-Shabaab, or that the government has definitively traced these specific stolen funds to the terror group's accounts.
Your 5-second AI research on government narratives falls flat.
I highly doubt US Government Reports will document ongoing Military Operations and USAID (CIA) Sources & Methods.
Your liking of “former” CIA Agent Elissa Slotkin’s video regarding her recent video encouraging a military coup against Trump is telling of who you are.
Read this online yesterday. Excellent work and a disgusting display of political / state suicide by “kindness “. There is nothing beneficial for anyone in giving unhindered unconditional financial support to humans capable of supporting themselves. Ask any rich person who raised a spoiled, worthless child that never had to earn anything how that worked out for them.
This Triumph of Society's Scumbags is where decades of phoney ‘social justice’ liberalism has taken us. It is the work of “that great cancerous legal/managerial Progressive Blob that has been growing inside the entrails of Western civilisation for many decades now. And the whole damn academia-preaching, social justice-legislating, human rights-lawfaring and commissariat-regulating lot of them really need their arses kicking.” (https://grahamcunningham.substack.com/p/awful-people)
In the USA, a long overdue pushback does now seem to be starting to happen. Whereas in Europe our political establishments are still offering blank cheques to anyone who waves their ‘victimhood’ flag at us.
Well, looks/sounds like the "system" has been corrupted over time, like all govt programs. Bad folks find a way to steal and cheat.
Suggest every program be cancelled immediately, 100% of any/all funds stopped.
Then if/when someone comes forward to participate in a program, they have to prove their need, and not to Tampon Tim, asshole. I wonder how much $ was funneled back to him??....
Is the MN Family Paid Leave Program another "first of it's kind"? Taking effect in January 2026, it seems we in MN will again be implementing a program ripe for fraudsters at the taxpayers expense.
Again you are informing us of a situation most of us did not know about! You did this with the Trans Movement. You are the top investigative Journalist anywhere!!
It’s not a flaw in the system.
It’s a feature. It’s designed to work this way.
“We mostly brought Somali immigrants here for a military purpose: helping US proxy networks prevail in Somalia's 50-year civil war.”
“Refugees get welfare and free living here then send remittances home to mostly ClA-backed proxies in Somalia. It's like USAID money via migration.””
Mike Benz
https://x.com/mikebenzcyber/status/1944949138220523812?s=46
The Christopher Rufo Substack post titled "The Largest Funder of Al-Shabaab" contains a mix of verified facts regarding massive fraud schemes and unverified allegations regarding the specific flow of that money to terrorist organizations.
Based on current public records and government reports, here is the breakdown of what is true and what is unproven in the post:
TRUE: Massive Fraud and Demographics
* The fraud is real and historic in scale: The "Feeding Our Future" scandal (approx. $250–$500 million) and the Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) fraud are real criminal conspiracies. They are among the largest pandemic-relief fraud schemes in the country.
* Indictments and Convictions: Federal prosecutors have charged over 70 individuals in the "Feeding Our Future" case and recently charged others in the HSS scheme. Many defendants have already pleaded guilty or been convicted.
* Demographics: As the post claims, the majority of the defendants in these specific cases are members of the Minnesota Somali community.
* Money sent abroad: Federal indictments and FBI testimony confirm that millions of dollars in stolen funds were laundered and sent overseas. Specifically, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that funds were used to purchase real estate and luxury assets in Kenya, Turkey, and Dubai, as well as residential property in the U.S.
UNVERIFIED / ALLEGED: The Al-Shabaab Connection
* "Largest Funder" claim: The specific claim that "The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer" is not an established fact recognized by public government reports. It is a quote from an anonymous "confidential source" cited by Rufo and his co-author.
* Context: Al-Shabaab's annual revenue is estimated by the UN and US Treasury to be over $100 million, primarily derived from taxation and extortion inside Somalia (e.g., taxing trade, checkpoints, and businesses). For the Minnesota fraud to be the "largest" funder, it would have to exceed these domestic revenue streams, which is a very high bar that has not been proven by public data.
* Terror Financing Charges: As of late 2025, no defendants in the "Feeding Our Future" or HSS cases have been publicly charged with "material support for terrorism." They are charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. While money laundering charges confirm funds were hidden and moved, they do not officially confirm the final destination was a terror group.
* Source of the Claim: The link to Al-Shabaab relies on Rufo's "federal counterterrorism sources." While it is plausible that illicit remittances (via hawalas) could reach Al-Shabaab (a concern the FBI has raised generally for over a decade), the direct link between these specific fraud dollars and Al-Shabaab's treasury is currently an allegation from their investigation, not an officially confirmed finding by the US Attorney's Office.
Summary
* True: Massive fraud occurred; money was stolen by a ring largely composed of Somali-Americans; millions were sent to East Africa and the Middle East (Kenya, Turkey, Dubai).
* Unproven: That this specific money is the primary or "largest" source of funding for Al-Shabaab, or that the government has definitively traced these specific stolen funds to the terror group's accounts.
Your 5-second AI research on government narratives falls flat.
I highly doubt US Government Reports will document ongoing Military Operations and USAID (CIA) Sources & Methods.
Your liking of “former” CIA Agent Elissa Slotkin’s video regarding her recent video encouraging a military coup against Trump is telling of who you are.
Ok well quite frankly whether it went to the terrorist group or not it’s still Somali fraud you spent a lot of effort for what?
@Daniel- AI, like Wikipedia, cannot be a reliable source. Don't go down that gopher hole.
Deportation of the criminal elements among these first generation immigrants should be considered.
*mandatory
Read this online yesterday. Excellent work and a disgusting display of political / state suicide by “kindness “. There is nothing beneficial for anyone in giving unhindered unconditional financial support to humans capable of supporting themselves. Ask any rich person who raised a spoiled, worthless child that never had to earn anything how that worked out for them.
Stroll through the Minneapolis airport and you would think you were in Somalia, but the robes the women have on are very ornate, very expensive.
They don't even say thank you.
This Triumph of Society's Scumbags is where decades of phoney ‘social justice’ liberalism has taken us. It is the work of “that great cancerous legal/managerial Progressive Blob that has been growing inside the entrails of Western civilisation for many decades now. And the whole damn academia-preaching, social justice-legislating, human rights-lawfaring and commissariat-regulating lot of them really need their arses kicking.” (https://grahamcunningham.substack.com/p/awful-people)
In the USA, a long overdue pushback does now seem to be starting to happen. Whereas in Europe our political establishments are still offering blank cheques to anyone who waves their ‘victimhood’ flag at us.
Well, looks/sounds like the "system" has been corrupted over time, like all govt programs. Bad folks find a way to steal and cheat.
Suggest every program be cancelled immediately, 100% of any/all funds stopped.
Then if/when someone comes forward to participate in a program, they have to prove their need, and not to Tampon Tim, asshole. I wonder how much $ was funneled back to him??....
Probably how he got elected.
Think about it. Who with a brain would ever vote for Elmer Fudd(Walz)?
On the surface, such a seemingly disassociated conduit. What an eye opening scenario as to the workings of graft in real time ! I just love your work.
Good article, thank you.
Islam permits deceit. Theft from non-Muslims is not regarded as immoral.
And Texas? See:
Peter Mcilvenna: Is Texas About To Fall To Islam?
Lessons From Londonistan For The Lone Star State
https://hellish2050.substack.com/p/peter-mcilvenna-is-texas-about-to
Is the MN Family Paid Leave Program another "first of it's kind"? Taking effect in January 2026, it seems we in MN will again be implementing a program ripe for fraudsters at the taxpayers expense.
Is there any money left in the Minnesota budget for non fraud purposes ?
Oh. And my nickname for Tim Walz- No Ballz Walz- seems appropriate even more now.
Shocker!
Again you are informing us of a situation most of us did not know about! You did this with the Trans Movement. You are the top investigative Journalist anywhere!!
The clinical terms "waste, fraud, and abuse" do not convey the horror of the consequences. I didn't see this one coming. This should be broadcast.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Walz and AG Keith Ellison should be thoroughly investigated for mismanagement, turning a blind-eye to the fraud or complicity…maybe all three.