GOP Senators Target Rampant Child Care Fraud After Minnesota Scandal

By Rebekah Zeljko

Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville are setting their sights on rampant alleged childcare fraud in states like Minnesota, the Daily Caller learned.

Tuberville and Cassidy rolled out the Strengthening Transparency and Oversight to Prevent (STOP) Child Care Fraud Act on Tuesday, aiming to ensure Americans’ tax dollars aren’t wasted on fraudulent child care programs. The move comes after federal officials have targeted a sweeping fraud scheme that allegedly exploited the federally funded Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program.

The legislation would amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 by requiring states to pay childcare providers based on confirmed attendance and by establishing real requirements, according to bill text obtained by the Caller. (RELATED: Some Somali Kids Allegedly Spent Their July 4 Weekend Shooting People)

“Every dollar spent on fraudsters is a dollar stolen from a child and family in need,” Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, told the Caller.

“Americans trust us to use their federal tax dollars wisely. By strengthening accountability, we protect taxpayer dollars and ensure working families have access to quality child care.”

Independent journalist Nick Shirley helped highlight tens of millions of dollars of alleged fraud in December 2025, prompting congressional hearings. Federal agents raided multiple locations in Minneapolis in April, including the Somali-linked daycare center the Quality Learning Center, formerly called the “Quality Learing Center,” which Shirley visited.

At least 70 individuals were allegedly part of a scheme to use Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit based in Minnesota, to secure over $250 million fraudulently via nutrition programs funded by the U.S. government, ABC News reported.

Two former Minnesota daycare operators pleaded guilty in fraud cases on July 9. Fahima Mahamud admitted to wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S., according to court documents obtained by CBS News. The Justice Department said she submitted claims for approximately $4.6 million in Child Care Assistance Program funds on top of obtaining over $850,000 in fraudulent money in connection with Feeding Our Future.

Jillaine Mertens pleaded guilty to wire fraud after reportedly defrauding the U.S. government out of over $425,000, KTTC reported.

Shirley later expanded his search to other states like California, where he estimated at least $100 million in annual fraud. His reporting quickly caught the attention of President Donald Trump’s administration. Vice President JD Vance launched the Anti-Fraud Task Force earlier this year and has since reportedly uncovered billions of dollars of potential fraud in states across the country.

“I appreciate the Trump administration’s efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse from our federal government,” Tuberville told the Caller. “We need to do everything we can in the Senate to support President Trump’s efforts and stand up for the American taxpayers. Under Tim Walz’s watch, $19 billion taxpayer dollars were stolen for fake ‘daycare centers.’ I’m proud to join the Strengthening Transparency and Oversight to Prevent (STOP) Child Care Fraud Act to make sure this never happens again.”

Cassidy and Tuberville introduced similar legislation earlier in the year alongside Republican Ohio Sen. Jon Husted which was dubbed the Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act.

The bill aims to protect taxpayers from paying for fraudulent student aid and people who impersonate students who obtain federal or state financial aid.