Welfare Fraud Money ‘Could Have Been Funneled to Al-Shabaab Terrorists in Somalia’

During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s Hannity, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) raised concerns that billions of dollars lost to alleged welfare fraud in Minnesota may have been diverted overseas, potentially reaching terrorist groups in Somalia.

Guest host Kellyanne Conway asked Gill whether he believed Democrats in Congress would support an investigation into reports that as much as $9 billion intended for food assistance may have been misused.

Gill responded that recent estimates suggest some of the funds could have been funneled to al-Shabaab, an extremist group based in Somalia. He said he hopes Democrats will recognize the seriousness of the issue and support further scrutiny, calling the allegations a major problem for American taxpayers.

The Texas congressman sharply criticized Democratic leadership, arguing that welfare programs are sometimes used as political tools rather than safeguards for those truly in need. He claimed the system enables fraud and undermines public trust, adding that it weakens both the nation’s social safety net and its economy.

Gill also accused Democrats of encouraging dependency on government programs to secure long-term political support, saying such practices have made bipartisan cooperation on the issue difficult.

Gill is backing legislation introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) known as the Welfare Abuse and Laundering Zillions Act, or the WALZ Act. The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General to investigate any federal assistance program that experiences a 10 percent or greater increase in total payments within a six-month period during a fiscal year.

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