A state investigation in Minnesota found no evidence to support claims reported in local media that money fraudulently obtained by Somali-American daycare owners in the state was making its way to terrorist groups overseas.

The state's legislative auditor released a report Wednesday stating that some daycare providers in the state are fraudulently over-billing the state's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), but not to the scale that has been reported by local news stations.

ADVERTISEMENT

The report also found that there was no evidence to support claims reported by a local Fox affiliate from Scott Stillman, a former employee with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, claiming that money obtained fraudulently by Somali-American daycare providers was being sent back to Somalia in the form of remittance payments to loved ones that would be stolen or otherwise obtained by local terrorist groups.

"Stillman’s statements and the Fox 9 stories created a strong and disturbing picture of individuals in Minnesota defrauding the state’s Child Care Assistance Program and sending the money to foreign countries where terrorists have obtained the money to fund their organizations and operations," the auditor wrote.

"Despite the serious nature of the allegation, neither Stillman nor Fox 9 presented specific evidence to substantiate the allegation," the auditor continued.

"He said investigators and law enforcement agencies had the evidence. We sought the evidence from investigators, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and court records, but did not find it there either."

The report went on to say that the auditor examined circumstantial evidence related to claims that fraudulently obtained money was being purposefully sent to Somalia intended for use by terrorist groups, which the auditor found to be "possible" while adding that no evidence was found to support such claims.

"All of these are possibilities, but for none of them did we find evidence to substantiate a connection between CCAP fraud money and support for a terrorist organization," the report states.

Somali-American residents of Minnesota protested the investigation in the state capitol last year, according to MPR News, accusing lawmakers of spreading irresponsible and dangerous claims about their community.

Republican lawmakers "who perpetuated this rumor irresponsibly fed Islamophobia and hatred that leaves us vulnerable to harassment and attacks every day," Mohamed Omar, executive director of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center, said Wednesday at a press conference according to MPR News.

This article was updated at 2:36 p.m. on 3/14 to correctly reflect Scott Stillman's former position.