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Treasury flags $8B in suspicious foreign-directed transfers through US money services firms

30 October 2026 at 18:31

The Trump administration uncovered what it says is more than $8 billion in potentially fraudulent cross-border wire payments that were made under foreign agents’ direction, issuing new guidelines for nonprofits who take foreign money, executing multiple FBI search warrants and building out a large-scale indictment.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within the Treasury Department said it identified suspicious wire payments from 2021 to 2025 that were sent through U.S.-based money services businesses at the direction of foreign agents.

"When greed meets negligence, the American people suffer," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Under President Trump and Vice President Vance’s leadership, Treasury stopped nearly $190 million in funds tied to overseas fraud and returned more than $100 million to U.S. victims. We are working with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud to help prevent this kind of abuse from happening again, in Minnesota or anywhere else."

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

At a Friday press conference, Bessent said: "In the weeks following my visit, Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, issued a geographic targeting order to trace criminal networks.

That diverts funds overseas and ensures that taxpayer dollars go to the American people, not terror groups like Al Shabaab."

He added that the Treasury Department has investigations in the U.S. and abroad into "Al-Shabaab, its networks and its enablers. Since the start of the Trump administration, FinCen data have also supported the law enforcement effort that led to the arrest and charging of 115 fraudsters, as well as 75 convictions and nearly 3,000 subpoenas across Minnesota."

Bessent said that on Thursday, "IRS-CI assisted with investigative activity at several sites suspected of fraud. I want to give a shout-out to our great officers at IRS-CI. They don't get much press, but they are quietly one of the most affected groups in the United States government for fighting fraud."

Bessent, FBI Director Kash Patel, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson held a news conference in Minnesota to detail the substantial fraud uncovered and FBI Minnesota's actions.

"This FBI follows the money," Patel said at the Friday press conference. "This FBI will put in prison anyone who commits fraud anywhere in the world against any American citizen. Thanks to President Trump, we finally have a commander-in-chief who prioritized the initiative to go after the fraudsters with the full force of government."

The Treasury Department issued a notice urging banks to scrutinize nonprofits’ donors, funding streams and ties to other groups and governments. FinCEN says the arrangements could obscure the ultimate recipients and potentially be exploited for money laundering or terrorist financing.

WATCHDOG UNLEASHES DATABASE TO EXPOSE 'LOOPHOLES' AS $5B IN FOREIGN CASH FLOODS US NONPROFITS

The notice noted that bad actors commit fraud in three forms of abuse: sham charities allegedly diverting funds to illicit activity, charity-related fraud that enriches the people running the scheme, and embezzlement by insiders at legitimate organizations.

Salim Said, a co-conspirator in the Feeding Our Future case, was sentenced to 30 years in prison this week after being convicted on 21 counts tied to a scheme that defrauded a federal child nutrition program of $49 million.

At the end of last year, reports and social media coverage by Shirley exposed a network of daycare centers, like the "Quality Learing (sic) Center," that were allegedly fraudulent and operated mostly by Somali immigrants.

MINNESOTA MAN CAPTURED IN SOMALIA AFTER ALLEGEDLY HELPING ORCHESTRATE $250M CHILD NUTRITION FRAUD SCHEME

The reports sparked swift action from the administration, and former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem deployed DHS and ICE agents to the streets of Minneapolis to catch and deport Somali immigrants in the country illegally. The deployment sparked a clash between local residents and federal agents that exploded into violent riots across the Twin Cities.

The Treasury secretary has previously taken aim at fraud and bad actors funding nonprofit organizations in the U.S. In April, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tightened tax-exempt reporting requirements in an effort to uncover nonprofit funding being used for "extremist activity" and "hiding fraud."

"Tax-exempt status is not immunity from scrutiny," Treasury Assistant Secretary and acting IRS chief counsel Ken Kies wrote in a statement. "If an organization receives public funds or tax-deductible donations, it should be prepared to show who controls the money and where it goes."

CRUZ PUSHES BILL TO HOLD TAX-EXEMPT SPONSORS ACCOUNTABLE AS DOJ PROBES SINGHAM NETWORK

Bessent has also been involved with the Department of Justice’s grand jury probe into the nonprofit network of Neville Roy Singham. Sources at Treasury told Fox News Digital that Bessent met with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and discussed Singham’s previously held accounts at the bank, which Singham used to distribute funds to a number of nonprofits.

HOUSE PANEL WARNS SINGHAM-LINKED NONPROFITS: COMPLY WITH SUBPOENAS OR FACE CONGRESS

Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. These groups regularly organize and participate in anti-ICE, anti-Israel and pro-Iran demonstrations.

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Singham has not been charged, and the investigation at the Southern District of New York remains ongoing.

Dem operative admits Ilhan Omar case has legs as liberal firewall begins to crack: 'I'm not stupid'

30 October 2026 at 14:01

A prominent Minnesota Democrat who served in the state's House of Representatives revealed on Thursday he believes the federal probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has legitimacy.

It's the latest signal that the political dam may be breaking as scandals and investigations into the congresswoman continue to pile up.

"Democrats should understand that the allegation is almost certainly true—whatever conclusion they draw from that point could vary—and her denials calling it a right-wing, Islamophobic or racist conspiracy are almost certainly not," Joe Radinovich posted on X in reference to the claims that Omar married her brother as part of an alleged fraudulent immigration scheme.

Radinovich, who served as a Minnesota state representative from 2013 to 2015 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), added to his post that, in addition to the probe into her immigration status, the investigation into her finances could also be problematic.

OBAMA ADMIN FIRST LAUNCHED THE INVESTIGATION INTO ILHAN OMAR'S ALLEGED BROTHER MARRIAGE

"And then I’d be very, very careful about how I qualified on allegations around her finances—where her defense looks similar and where no meaningful questions have been answered publicly, and where any objective look at the evidence doesn’t look…great," the former state representative said.

Radinovich, a well-connected DFL operative with ties to the party’s state, federal and Minneapolis political establishments, managed Democrat Rick Nolan’s 2016 congressional campaign, ran Jacob Frey’s successful 2017 campaign for Minneapolis mayor and later served as Frey’s chief of staff. He also won the DFL nomination for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District in 2018 before losing to Republican Pete Stauber.

Briana Rose Lee, a Minneapolis DFL activist who served as an operations director for Omar’s campaign operation, responded to the post calling it a "witch hunt."

"Joe. You aren’t stupid," she wrote. "You know this is a baseless and manufactured witch hunt. I’m actually surprised to see this from you. It’s a new low."

NEARLY 40 HOUSE DEMS SKIP EFFORT TO END ILHAN OMAR IMMIGRATION PROBE

Radinovich stood by his comments.

"You’re right," Radinovich wrote. "I’m not stupid. I believe the Trump DOJ has next to no credibility and that it’s unclear to me the timing of the raid was appropriate—though it’s notable a DC judge signed off on it—but I’m pretty confident this specific allegation is true."

Notably, Radinovich had a hand in two Democratic primary challenges against Omar, working with candidate Don Samuels in 2022 and 2024. Samuels lost both bids. 

Radinovich’s post is the latest example of the scrutiny surrounding Omar’s legal issues not being confined to conservative media or the MAGA base.

Outlets including the New York Times, MSNBC, NBC News and The Associated Press have reported on evidence suggesting Omar’s marriage and citizenship may have been fraudulent, although no criminal charges have been filed against the Minnesota congresswoman.

Omar's Washington, D.C., home was raided by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on Oct. 12, 2026. HSI is the chief investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her passport, phone and computer were seized during the early-morning operation.

Fox News later reported that investigators are in possession of Omar's DNA. Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, voluntarily submitted to questioning shortly after the raid, skipping out on her book tour for a "family emergency."

Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that the raid stemmed from an investigation into whether Omar or her late father, Nur Mohamed, fraudulently filled out her citizenship paperwork decades ago. The investigation, the sources noted, could lead to the congresswoman's denaturalization.

But questions about whether Omar allegedly married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in a fraudulent immigration scheme have also arisen. Omar has been plagued by the accusation for a decade, since she first ran for Minnesota state representative in 2016.

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Court filings from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia referred to Omar as "Ilhan Omar Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Omar," suggesting that she shares a surname with the man she married in 2009. Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is a British citizen. Sources later told Fox News Digital that Ilhan Omar is not the Somali-born congresswoman's "real name."

Omar's office has consistently denied the immigration fraud allegation, characterizing it as a right-wing smear. Most recently, she has said that the renewed scrutiny is the product of a political "vendetta" by President Donald Trump.

But Thursday, Fox News Digital confirmed that former President Barack Obama's administration opened a probe into the allegedly fraudulent marriage in 2016. One source told Fox News Digital that the investigation remained open until 2021, when it was closed by the Biden administration. The Times reported that investigators believed the statute of limitations on a potential crime had passed.

Omar's campaign attacked Radinovich in a Friday morning comment to Fox News Digital. 

"Joe is a deeply troubled individual whose demons have sadly manifested as an irrational obsession with Congresswoman Omar after managing two losing campaigns against her," the campaign said. "His claims are false, biased, and without any evidence. While he was once seen as a rising star within the party, Joe is now widely recognized as a shill for Republican and Corporate money."

MIKE DAVIS: Democrats' lawfare targets journalists in Minnesota

30 October 2026 at 13:04

For years, Democrats — especially "mainstream" (left-wing) reporters — have pretended President Trump persecutes the press. Their current silence is deafening after Democratic Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty just brought bogus and stunning felony charges against two conservative journalists, Cam Higby and James O'Keefe, for having the audacity to expose Minnesota's woefully lax voter security protocols. In other words, Moriarty illegally charged two reporters for doing their jobs.

Moriarty’s illegal felony charges against disfavored reporters for non-crimes crossed a glaring red line, and the Trump Justice Department must immediately and publicly open a civil rights criminal case against Moriarty and others for conspiring to violate and violating Higby and O’Keefe’s First Amendment constitutional rights, under 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 and 242. If the evidence is there, which it seems obvious, Moriarty must face federal charges immediately. Anything short of this turns a blind eye to an extraordinarily dangerous open season on America’s free press.

Every illegal vote, as a matter of basic arithmetic, disenfranchises a legal voter. Election integrity requires public confidence in the system's security. Tina Peters faced nearly a decade in prison for revealing serious election flaws in Colorado until Democratic Gov. Jared Polis courageously commuted her sentence. Following Peters' lead, Higby and O'Keefe set out to test Minnesota's voting system for weaknesses. Higby wore a burqa and posed as a registered voter. He also vouched for a companion he said was registered as well. He filmed the exchange with poll workers to show his online audience just how vulnerable the system really is.

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The video shows that Higby never had to present photo identification. His word alone cleared his companion, who also produced no ID. To be clear, neither cast a ballot. The exercise simply aimed to demonstrate, as Higby certainly did, how easily someone can manipulate Minnesota's elections.

The state's U.S. Senate race between Republican Michele Tafoya and far-left Democrat Peggy Flanagan is tightening. The stakes are high: The race could decide control of the Senate chamber. Only lawful voters should cast ballots, and the law limits federal elections to American citizens.

SLEEPER GOP CANDIDATE PUTS BLUE-LEANING STATE IN PLAY AS FRAUD SCANDAL SHADOWS DEMS

What Higby and O'Keefe did was vintage investigative journalism, not voter fraud. The First Amendment guarantees a free press to protect this precise kind of work. If prosecutors can punish undercover journalism with felony charges, oversight by the Fourth Estate will dramatically diminish. Fear of prosecution and prison will chill would-be investigators whenever the powers-that-be dislike a story, such as one revealing insecure ballot safeguards.

But Moriarty, a Democrat lawfare crusader, does not care about any of this. She only cares about getting plaudits from top Democrat brass — and power — at any and all costs, including imprisoning reporters.

JONATHAN TURLEY: SUPREME COURT MUST TAKE HERRIDGE CASE AND PROTECT REPORTERS' SOURCES

Moriarty applies the law selectively. The case of Turning Point USA activist Savannah Hernandez proves it. Three agitators assaulted Hernandez in front of numerous witnesses and cameras captured the attack. Moriarty pursued only misdemeanor charges — a slap on the hand. Fortunately, federal prosecutors stepped in and filed felony charges against the three alleged attackers. Yet Moriarty now seeks to convict Higby and O'Keefe of serious crimes, though they attacked no one and neither voted illegally nor actually attempted to vote in the first place.

Moriarty's lawfare demands a federal response. Federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 242, makes it a crime to willfully deprive anyone of constitutional rights under color of law. And 18 U.S.C. § 241 makes it a crime to conspire with others to do the same. Moriarty should go after fraudsters at the ballot box and those behind billions in bogus claims against Medicaid. Instead, she is hounding two journalists for doing their jobs: showing the public how dismal Minnesota's election protections are.

SOROS NETWORK REBUILDS PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTOR PUSH AFTER STRING OF ELECTION LOSSES

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Higby and O'Keefe should not face criminal charges. But Moriarty and her co-conspirators must. Indicting them would send a resounding message to Soros-backed and other leftist district attorneys across the nation: Lawfare will carry dire legal consequences. Prosecutors must meet the highest standards. After all, as the left intoned during the anti-Trump lawfare years, no one is above the law.

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Feds raid multiple Minnesota autism service providers amid Medicaid fraud investigations

29 October 2026 at 18:42

Federal agents raided multiple Minnesota autism service providers Thursday in the latest law enforcement action involving a state already under intense scrutiny over allegations of widespread fraud in taxpayer-funded programs.

The FBI confirmed that federal and state agencies were conducting "court-authorized investigative activity" at multiple locations across Minnesota, including sites in the Twin Cities and Rochester, according to MPR News. Meanwhile, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office also confirmed that its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit executed search warrants at Iska Inc. in St. Louis Park and Bright Horizon Therapy in Edina, both of which provide autism-related or other Medicaid-funded services.

The operation involved the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, IRS criminal investigators, U.S. Postal Inspectors and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis.

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"This is an active investigation, and no further details are available at this time," FBI Minneapolis spokesperson Matt Vogel told MPR News.

Iska Inc. received more than $16.7 million in Medicaid payments between 2018 and 2025, according to state data reviewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune. The business participated in Minnesota's Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program, which provides services to children and young people with autism and has faced increasing scrutiny over fraud allegations.

The latest searches follow a series of enforcement operations targeting suspected fraud in Minnesota's publicly funded programs. In April, federal and state investigators executed 22 search warrants in Minnesota, including at autism service providers and childcare businesses.

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The Justice Department also announced charges against 15 defendants in May in connection with alleged health care fraud schemes involving more than $90 million in intended losses. The cases included an alleged $46.6 million scheme targeting Minnesota's autism intervention program, which DOJ said saw Medicaid claims surge from more than $600,000 in 2018 to more than $400 million by 2025.

The raids come ahead of Vice President JD Vance's planned visit to Minnesota — alongside members of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — where allegations of public-services fraud have fueled growing questions about oversight. 

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Officials have not announced charges related to Thursday's searches, and the allegations against any individual business remain unproven.

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