Minnesota fraud hearing sparks immigration clash as GOP lawmaker spotlights Somali welfare data

By Fox News · Fox News

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, wasted no time in peppering witnesses at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday about the Somali community’s role in alleged widespread fraud uncovered in Minnesota. In an exchange with Brendan Ballou, a former federal prosecutor and Democrat witness, Gill highlighted a series of ways in which Somalis showed a statistical reliance on government support programs in Minnesota. "Do you know what percentage of Somali-headed households in Minnesota are on food stamps? 54%," Gill said. LEFT-WING DEMS STEER $1M TO ADDICTION GROUP OPERATING ABOVE MINNEAPOLIS SOMALI RESTAURANT AMID FRAUD FALLOUT "Do you know what that number is for native Minnesota-headed households?" Gill asked. Ballou began to respond but was cut off by more questions from Gill. "Well, to be clear, a majority of —" Ballou began. "It's 7%," Gill interjected. "There's a big difference between 54% and 7%, no?" "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," Ballou fired back, noting that there could be some overlap between Gill's numbers. Gill pushed on. "What percentage of Somali-headed households are on welfare in general? It's 81%," Gill said. "After ten years of being in the United States, what percentage of Somali immigrant households continue to be on welfare? The number is 78%." Gill’s statements come as Republicans more closely evaluated the fraud levels discovered in Minnesota in recent months. Investigators at the local and federal levels have uncovered myriad fraud schemes posing as daycare centers, food programs, health clinics and more accused of robbing the state of up to $9 billion. In these cases, the investigators say fraudsters either inflated the numbers of the people they allegedly helped or fabricated their services altogether — all while receiving government dollars. While Republicans have stressed a need to tackle fraud writ large, the Somali co…