Treasury Investigating Alleged Minnesota Fraud That Steered Money to Somali Terrorists

Secretary Scott Bessent announced the investigation after Trump’s claims that Minnesota has been a money laundering hub.
Treasury Investigating Alleged Minnesota Fraud That Steered Money to Somali Terrorists
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a press conference in Aylesbury, England, on Sept. 18, 2025. Leon Neal/Pool via Reuters
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The Treasury Department is investigating claims that Minnesota taxpayer funds were stolen by fraudulent nonprofits and rerouted to the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia, according to Secretary Scott Bessent on Dec. 1.

Bessent made the announcement on social media platform X, just days after President Donald Trump eliminated temporary deportation protections for Somalis living in Minnesota. Trump, in his announcement on Nov. 21, also called Minnesota a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and accused Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of failing to deter such crimes in the state.
Kimberly Hayek
Kimberly Hayek
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Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.