Quote:The sprawling fraud scandal tied to taxpayer-funded childcare and welfare programs is no longer confined to Minnesota.

New evidence suggests the same red flags are now flashing in Washington State, where hundreds of Somali-run childcare centers allegedly operate without even listing a physical address.

Internet researcher Kristen Mag posted findings on X showing that, according to a Washington state government database, hundreds of childcare centers listing Somali as their primary language do not include a physical street address.

“There are 539 childcare centers in Washington state that list Somali as the primary language. Most don’t even give a street address,” Mag wrote.

“I don’t know how many of these are submitting fraudulent claims for state grants and subsidies, but I have a strong hunch the number is not zero.”

Mag demonstrated the issue in a video, scrolling through the official database and highlighting missing address fields.

She noted that Washington state lists a total of 5,046 childcare centers, meaning more than 10 percent list Somali as the primary language, with a heavy concentration in the Seattle-Tacoma and Western Washington region.

“Clarification: 5046 is the total number of childcare centers participating in the Early Achievers state ratings program. Care providers must be participating in Early Achievers to be eligible for state subsidies and grants,” she added.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk weighed in on the Washington findings, replying on X: “They are fraud-maxxing this exploit.”

Link

WA Dem Gov Bob Ferguson backs Somali community as fraud allegations increase

Quote:Governor Bob Ferguson is doubling down on his support for Washington’s Somali community as fraud allegations, similar to those in Minnesota, have surfaced in the Evergreen State. On Monday, Gov. Bob Ferguson met with state and local leaders, including Somali community representatives, in Seattle.

He posted to social media following the event, “I met with Somali American community leaders today to discuss the deep damage inflicted by Donald Trump's harmful rhetoric and reckless deportations. Here in Washington state, we recognize that diversity is a strength.”

Ferguson’s comments come as fraud allegations surface against the Somali community in Seattle, similar to the allegations in Minnesota. 92 people have been charged in the North Star State, and 60 of them have been convicted. Of those charged, 82 are Somali-Americans, according to the FBI.


The Seattle area, with the third-largest Somali population in the US, has been in the spotlight following a viral investigative report by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who alleges widespread fraud involving Somali-run daycare facilities in Minnesota. Shirley reported that many of the daycares receiving millions in taxpayer funds appear to have no students enrolled after visiting them and finding empty storefronts. In one example, Shirley visited the Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, a facility reportedly receiving $4 million in public funding. He found a misspelled sign reading “Quality Learing Center,” a largely empty parking lot, and no indication that children were present.

Republican lawmakers have since called for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be “held accountable,” citing the growing scrutiny over the scale of alleged fraud linked to childcare funding in the state.

Investigative reporter for the Center Square, Carleen Johnson, posted to social media on Monday, “Just went to four Somali run home daycare centers in Federal Way, WA that receive taxpayer subsidies. Just like Nick Shirley found in MN, there were no children and no one willing to chat with this reporter. They threatened me with police.”

Johnson wrote, “I didn't ask to come inside. There were no children present. This did not at all appear to be a legit child care center receiving WA taxpayer subsidies.” She added, “Funny thing is, I was standing on the street in front of the home at the time she screamed at me from an upstairs window. I have no doubt WA taxpayers have been bilked of millions by this scam.”

Johnson noted that according to government websites, “there are many taxpayer funded Somali run home daycares in Federal Way, WA,” adding she “went to four of them today and found no children/cameras in our face/no questions answered.”


In a now viral video, Kristen Mag posted on social media, “There are 539 childcare centers in Washington state that list Somali as the primary language. Most don’t even give a street address. I don’t know how many of these are submitting fraudulent claims for state grants and subsidies, but I have a strong hunch the number is not zero.” She added, “The same search tool shows a total of 5046 childcare centers in WA state. So over 10% of childcare centers in the state list Somali as the primary language. And most are concentrated in the Seattle/Tacoma/Western WA region. Seems high. I’d say it’s fair to be skeptical,” noting, “I’m only scrolling through the A’s in my video.”

The news comes on the heels of revelations that a Somali candidate for King County Council in Washington state, who previously threatened to blow up a school bus full of children and was later arrested for allegedly assaulting parents at a school drop-off, received campaign donations from daycare businesses in Minnesota.

Ferguson wasn’t the only one to show support for the community. State Rep Osman Salahuddin echoed Ferguson’s statements, then deleted them as the fraud allegations began to grow. Earlier this month, Ferguson hosted embattled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as a guest speaker at a campaign luncheon. During his remarks, Walz vowed to bring more Somalians to Minnesota and give more government handouts amid the massive fraud revelations. He said, "Instead of demonizing our Somali community, we’re going to do more to welcome more in.”

The city of Tukwila also expressed support for the Somali community, posting on social media, "We continue to believe that respect and compassion ultimately prevail, and Tukwila will be a community to support and stand by our Somali neighbors, friends, and colleagues."

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, which licenses child care centers, did not initially comment on the investigation, but at the end of the day, sent an email response to KOMO News, writing, "Licensed early learning providers follow quality standards, the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), set by the state to ensure children in licensed care are in safe, healthy, and nurturing environments. DCYF conducts regular inspections to ensure that licensed child care programs meet safety and health standards."

WA Somali-run daycare took $210,000 in taxpayer funds in 2025 but no childcare business appears to exist: report

Quote:A new investigative report has uncovered daycare fraud undertaken by Somalis in Washington State. A resident living at a home registered as a daycare center in the state told reporters, when confronted that there has never been such a business there.

Video showed journalist Cam Higby sending a decoy up to the home that is listed as housing the business "Dhagash Childcare," with Higby saying that his decoy heard "rustling around on the other side of the Ring camera, as if they were listening to her but not responding."

Journalist Jonathan Choe said he also went to the house with Kristen Mag immediately following Higby "to see if we get the same response, and we sort of did." Choe was able to speak to a person who was inside the home through the doorbell, asking, "is this Dhagash Family Childcare." The woman on the other side replied, "no." He asked what the name of the childcare business was there, and the woman replied, "I don’t have childcare." He recounted asking if the location had ever been a childcare place, and the woman said "no."

Washington State records show that the address is listed as a daycare, and the Google page for the business lists it as a daycare. In 2025 alone, the business has received over $210,000 in taxpayer funds.

The business is licensed to hold up to nine children, however, six slots were open, Higby said. He added that a woman came up to them and said the people who live in the house, who are the woman’s neighbor, had texted and asked her to go over and confront the reporters "because they thought we were ICE. So the next question, are they illegal immigrants?"

Higby continued, "by what she said is, I’ve seen no evidence that there is a daycare there. She actually said my husband and I were wondering how those people afford that house, because she said the rent was $3,500 a month." The neighbor said, "I haven’t seen kids over there. I mean, I’ve seen one child over there like when they have family things but no, I have not seen any evidence of daycare activity there."

Higby said that authorities had come and inspected the location in September and found "multiple long-term, short-term, serious, and immediate risks to children," and that in the same month, they received $22,000.

Choe emphasized, "we’re not alleging that every single one of these Somali-run daycares are engaged in fraudulent activity," with Higby adding, "I mean, we went to some today that seem totally legitimate." Choe continued, And the vast majority may be legit, but the ones that we’ve investigated and the list that we still have that needs to be investigated, there are concerning signs.

This comes after reports of fraud in Washington State similar to those found in Minnesota, with dozens of people being convicted. Investigative reporter for the Center Square, Carleen Johnson, posted to social media on Monday, “Just went to four Somali run home daycare centers in Federal Way, WA that receive taxpayer subsidies. Just like Nick Shirley found in MN, there were no children and no one willing to chat with this reporter. They threatened me with police.”

“I didn't ask to come inside. There were no children present. This did not at all appear to be a legit child care center receiving WA taxpayer subsidies.” She added, “Funny thing is, I was standing on the street in front of the home at the time she screamed at me from an upstairs window. I have no doubt WA taxpayers have been bilked of millions by this scam.”

Kristen Mag noted that there are 539 childcare centers in Washington state that list Somali as the primary language, and "most don’t even give a street address. I don’t know how many of these are submitting fraudulent claims for state grants and subsidies, but I have a strong hunch the number is not zero."

Washington AG Nick Brown accuses journalists of 'harassment' for investigating daycare fraud

Quote:Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is threatening independent journalists for investigating alleged daycare fraud, claiming they are harassing daycare workers.

In a statement obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, Brown said, “My office has received outreach from members of the Somali community after reports of home-based daycare providers being harassed and accused of fraud with little to no fact-checking.”

According to the Attorney General, his office is coordinating with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to evaluate the claims being circulated online and the reported harassment aimed at daycare workers. Brown urged anyone contacted by the journalists to contact local law enforcement or report the incident to the state’s Hate Crimes & Bias Incident Hotline or through the Attorney General’s reporting website.

Brown added, “Showing up on someone’s porch, threatening, or harassing them isn’t an investigation. Neither is filming minors who may be in the home. This is unsafe and potentially dangerous behavior.”


“If you think fraud is happening, there are appropriate measures to report and investigate,” he said, pointing people toward DCYF resources. “And where fraud is substantiated and verified by law enforcement and regulatory agencies, people should be held accountable.”

However, many noted that the DCYF failed to notice discrepancies on its own website, including missing addresses, licenses, and other data, yet still received large sums in taxpayer funding, which is what the journalists are investigating. Brown’s statement follows a surge of investigations by independent journalists who say Washington may be dealing with the early warning signs of a daycare subsidy scandal similar to what was previously uncovered in Minnesota by journalist Nick Shirley, whose reporting highlighted alleged fraud in Minnesota daycare networks.

On Tuesday, a new investigative report claimed to uncover daycare fraud involving Somali-run home daycare operations in Washington State. Journalists Cam Higby and Jonathan Choe investigated the Dhagash Childcare, which is listed as a licensed daycare, but a resident at the address told the pair that no such childcare business had ever operated at the location. State records show the location as licensed and receiving taxpayer funds.

Choe spoke to a woman inside the home through the doorbell and asked whether the location was “Dhagash Family Childcare.” The woman responded: “No.” Choe then asked what childcare business operated there. “I don’t have childcare,” the woman replied. When asked whether the location had ever served as a daycare, she again responded: “No.”

Despite those denials, Washington records list the address as a daycare, and the business also appears listed as a daycare on Google. According to the investigation, the business received more than $210,000 in taxpayer funds in 2025 alone and is licensed to hold up to nine children.


A neighbor approached and told them the residents had contacted her to confront the journalists because they believed they were immigration enforcement. That interaction led Higby to raise additional questions about who may be operating the daycare, but the neighbor told them she had not seen daycare activity at the residence.

Higby noted that authorities had inspected the location in September and identified “multiple long-term, short-term, serious, and immediate risks to children,” but in the same month, the daycare received $22,000.

Choe and Higby’s investigation followed investigative reporter Carleen Johnson of The Center Square, who posted about visiting four Somali-run daycare homes in Federal Way, Washington, that receive taxpayer subsidies. “Just went to four Somali-run home daycare centers in Federal Way, WA that receive taxpayer subsidies,” she wrote. “Just like Nick Shirley found in MN, there were no children and no one willing to chat with this reporter. They threatened me with police.”

“This did not at all appear to be a legit child care center receiving WA taxpayer subsidies,” she wrote.

Kristen Mag, who assisted Choe and Higby in their investigation, raised broader systemic concerns, noting Washington has 539 childcare centers listing Somali as the primary language and “most don’t even give a street address.”

The reporting comes after it was revealed that Ubax Gardheere, a Somali candidate for King County Council in 2021, who previously threatened to blow up a school bus full of children and was later arrested for allegedly assaulting parents during a school drop-off, received campaign donations from daycare businesses in Minnesota.

Rather than address the allegations and promise an investigation, Governor Bob Ferguson and Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson, among other Washington officials, doubled down on support for the Somali community.

Dem lawmaker moves to conceal WA state daycare provider info amid Somali fraud allegations

Harmeet Dhillon warns states: don’t target journalists probing Somali daycare fraud or they will have ‘splainin to do’

you can't help but spam the board with redundant threads ... you listened and then immediately forgot the point...

https://csnbbs.com/thread-1022736.html

@vigalenteCtrl+cThenCtrl+v #copyPasta

(12-31-2025 04:35 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  you can't help but spam the board with redundant threads ... you listened and then immediately forgot the point...

https://csnbbs.com/thread-1022736.html

@vigalenteCtrl+cThenCtrl+v #copyPasta

I'm going to post info in each thread about each state that is dealing with their version of Somali Fraud.

If the civil war starts soon the Somalis and illegals will put up the strongest fight. The rest of the left will wilt.

Socialist Seattle mayor claims indie reporters are 'extremist influencers,' wants to charge them with hate crimes

Real WA daycare owner 'flabbergasted' by alleged Somali fraud: 'How are they getting that money and we're not?'

Quote:A daycare owner in Washington state has said that he is "flabbergasted" by the amount of money alleged Somali fraudsters in the daycare industry are getting in comparison to the subsidies his daycare and others in the industry usually receive on a normal basis.

According to Center Square, the outlet went to a number of Washington-based daycare centers run by Somalis, and only one of the daycares had any children inside. “Anyone who's in the industry is, like, flabbergasted,” said daycare owner David McMullan. “How are they getting that money and we're not?”


McMullan, who is also the chair of the Pierce County Republicans, said that his wife has been in the daycare center business for a few years, but is not getting anywhere near the payments from the government.

“We have Little Patriots Academy. We have two currently functioning daycare centers. We also have a preschool called Buttons and Bows that's in Puyallup. We've spent a lot of time with DCYF (Department of Children, Youth & Families) and all the different regulations that make it very difficult to actually operate a daycare center,” he said.


“They're quite responsive and good to work with. So, I don't have anything to say about the department itself,” he explained. “But we have to jump through a lot of hoops just to get the things we need to function and stay profitable, especially when they're not increasing our subsidies, but demanding that we pay our teachers more.”

He explained that while he does not have issues with the Somali community, he was shocked to see the massive government subsidies many have received while allegedly committing massive fraud. “The bottom line is per head, per child, it's about $1,500, $1,600 tops, so how are they getting that much?”


In the case of some of the home-run daycare centers in Washington, the amount per child is in the tens of thousands of dollars, the outlet reported. "I want to see which program gets them that much money per head because I want to get involved in it," McMullan said.

The DCYF said that they investigate all reports of alleged fraud seriously. “Washington state utilizes a variety of measures to minimize fraud. For example, DCYF conducts unannounced site visits at every licensed childcare provider at least once per year," a spokesman said.


The report comes as allegations of fraud in the Somali community of Washington have not cropped up since an investigation by Nick Shirley in Minnesota of Somali-run daycares appeared to show several government-subsidized daycares as non-functional.

GOP lawmaker calls for Trump admin to review Washington welfare programs as child care fraud allegations grow

Quote:With federal investigations in Minnesota exposing large-scale fraud schemes involving child nutrition and Medicaid-related programs, Congressman Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) is now pushing for Washington state to get ahead of the next potential scandal as independent journalists investigate alleged fraud in the Evergreen State.

Baumgartner announced he has sent a formal letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging both departments to conduct a program-integrity review of federally funded benefits administered in Washington state. “Washington families deserve to know their tax dollars are paying for real meals and real care, not padding the pockets of scammers,” Baumgartner said, calling Minnesota a “cautionary tale” and warning that fraud risks explode when programs rely on large networks of third-party providers and “pay-and-chase” enforcement.


In the letter, Baumgartner emphasized he is not alleging misconduct by Washington state, but is requesting independent validation that safeguards are working, or a clear roadmap for fixing vulnerabilities before the state becomes the next headline. “Minnesota is a cautionary tale for every state: when state authorities fast-track welfare payments with weak front‑end controls and lax enforcement, fraudsters will pounce. My goal is simple: get independent confirmation that Washington’s safeguards are working, and if they are not, fix the problems now rather than after a headline‑grabbing scandal.”

Baumgartner’s request lands as Washington is already facing rising public scrutiny over its child care subsidy system, which is managed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).


Independent journalists have been investigating allegations of “ghost daycares”—providers listed as licensed and active in state systems, but allegedly appearing nonexistent or inactive when visited in person. They’ve also reported that certain DCYF listing fields, like capacity and available slots, appeared to change during the course of their investigation.

KOMO News reported that the Washington State Auditor’s Office is finalizing an audit of a $770 million DCYF child care subsidy program, covering payments to more than 7,400 providers. DCYF linked the outlet to records showing 1,372 overpayments totaling $2,092,513 from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, many tied to missing attendance records and overbilled hours or days.


Baumgartner specifically asked for federal review of USDA child nutrition programs administered in Washington, including sponsor and site oversight as well as HHS programs, including Medicaid services and waivers (CMS), child care subsidy-related federal funding streams (ACF), and other programs heavily reliant on provider networks. He also asked federal agencies to cross-check Washington’s systems against Minnesota-style red flags, including low barriers to entry, weak documentation, reliance on post-payment review, rapid spending growth, and “recruitment” behavior such as templated documentation, kickbacks, or client-mill patterns.

The Congressman noted, “Recent developments in Minnesota highlight a recurring risk profile that is not unique to one state or one program: when large federal funding streams are administered at the state level through extensive networks of third-party providers, sponsors, subrecipients, or contractors—especially where enrollment is easy, documentation is limited, and payments are made before meaningful verification—fraud risks can scale quickly.”


Baumgartner requested a written response or staff briefing within 30 days, offering to receive sensitive details in a non-public setting if necessary.

Washington State Auditor finds MILLIONS in overpayments by agency responsible for daycare oversight: report

WA Auditor: Missing data made it 'impossible' to track where child care federal funds went

Quote:As scrutiny over Washington’s child care funding system continues to intensify following investigations of fraud allegations, the Washington State Auditor’s Office has revealed sweeping oversight and accountability gaps at the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), including the inability to track provider-level payment data for four consecutive years.

While state officials continue to insist there is no proven fraud, the State Auditor’s findings reveal a deeper problem: for four years, Washington lacked the basic data needed to show where hundreds of millions of dollars went. State Auditor Pat McCarthy told KOMO News that DCYF’s lack of detailed provider data has repeatedly hampered audits and left billions in taxpayer-funded spending unverifiable. “They are probably the most risky of all of the departments in state government,” McCarthy told the outlet, citing DCYF’s size, scope, and the vulnerable populations it serves.


The auditor’s comments come as her office is finalizing an audit of the Child Care and Development Fund, a $770 million federal program administered by DCYF that paid subsidies to roughly 7,400 child care providers in the most recent fiscal year. The audit began before daycare funding allegations went viral nationwide, following fraud cases uncovered in Minnesota, and is expected to be completed in March.

According to McCarthy, DCYF has remained a high-risk agency for years. She pointed to findings from the FY24 audit that questioned more than $400 million in federal program costs because the state failed to maintain documentation required under federal law.


One audit finding states that DCYF’s failure to keep adequate supporting records made it “impossible” for auditors to trace payments of federal dollars to individual providers. As a result, auditors said they could not determine whether longstanding compliance problems had improved or worsened.

Because the agency could not allow auditors to trace grant expenditures down to the payment level, the auditor’s office formally questioned $415,579,473 in federal costs during the audit period. “We will look at individual providers when we do those audits,” McCarthy said, “but we have to get that information from the agency… and we haven’t been able to get that information for the last four years.”


Despite the auditor’s stark assessment, DCYF’s Oversight Board addressed the issue only briefly during a meeting held in private, even as agency leaders testified before the State Senate about fraud allegations engulfing DCYF in recent weeks. DCYF Chief Programming Officer Jenny Heddin told the board that the agency audited about 2,000 child care providers in 2025, only 23 percent of subsidy recipients, despite Democratic officials previously claiming that every Washington daycare was audited annually. Of those audits, 14 providers were referred to the Office of Fraud and Accountability, but none resulted in prosecutions or convictions.

DCYF officials stated that the agency does not consider overpayments to be fraud. Leaders said they have mechanisms to recover the roughly $2 million in overpayments identified last year, including wage garnishment and liens.


The revelations add fuel to an already heated debate in Washington. Independent journalists have been investigating alleged “ghost daycares” with no students, unexplained data changes on DCYF’s website, and a lack of transparency in subsidy payments. Meanwhile, state leaders, including the Attorney General, the Speaker of the House, the governor, Democratic leadership, and Seattle’s mayor, have dismissed fraud allegations and demonized journalists investigating the issue.

At the federal level, Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) has called for program-integrity reviews by HHS and USDA, citing Minnesota as a cautionary tale and urging independent verification that Washington’s safeguards are working.

WA attorney general calls daycare fraud allegations 'baseless' despite audit findings showing major oversight gaps

Audit finds $37 million in questionable child care payments as oversight failures mount in Washington state

Quote:Washington’s troubled childcare subsidy system is facing renewed scrutiny after a sweeping new state audit found tens of millions of dollars in questionable payments, adding to a growing list of red flags involving oversight failures, missing records, and weak financial controls at the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).

The Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) released its annual review of $23.7 billion in federal funds across 28 programs, identifying serious weaknesses in how the state detects improper payments in child care subsidies. Auditors estimate that those failures contributed to $37 million in questionable payments in 2025 alone, according to KOMO news.


According to the audit, problems with documentation and verification continue to plague the system, including $27.2 million in questionable payments tied to the federal Child Care Development Fund, and $9.9 million in questionable payments tied to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Providers also failed to produce attendance records, overbilled for services, or lacked required parent signatures. Auditors found the state often pays providers before verifying documentation, relying instead on audits after the fact, a system critics describe as “pay and chase.”


Even DCYF’s own internal reviews paint a troubling picture. 67 percent of audits identified overpayments, while 22% of payments reviewed were overpayments, totaling $2.2 million.

The findings add to a mounting pattern. Auditors said it was “impossible” to trace payments to individual providers for four years due to missing data. Additionally, more than $416 million in spending was previously “questioned” due to inadequate documentation. DCYF also acknowledged 1,372 overpayments totaling $2 million in 1 year.


State Auditor Pat McCarthy said the state must take additional steps to prevent improper payments, emphasizing the need to preserve funding for families who depend on the program.

Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) previously called for a federal program-integrity review of Washington’s welfare and child care funding systems. Speaking on The Ari Hoffman Show, Baumgartner said the push was driven by both the alarming audit findings and fraud scandals in other states like Minnesota. “Any time billions of dollars are being spent, taxpayers deserve a regular review,” Baumgartner said, emphasizing that oversight “shouldn’t be a Republican or Democrat issue.”


In a letter to HHS and USDA, Baumgartner requested independent verification that Washington’s safeguards are working or identification of gaps before they escalate into a larger scandal. He warned that systems relying on weak upfront verification and heavy post-payment audits are especially vulnerable to fraud.

The audit comes after months of public concern about potential fraud, fueled in part by large-scale cases uncovered in Minnesota and investigations by independent journalists in Washington alleging “ghost daycares” and billing irregularities.


Faced with the mounting evidence, Attorney General Nick Brown called the fraud allegations “baseless,” even as audits continue to document systemic weaknesses.

While the audit stops short of declaring widespread fraud, it confirms what critics have warned for months: Washington’s child care subsidy system has serious vulnerabilities, and millions of taxpayer dollars are at risk. With $37 million now flagged in a single year, and hundreds of millions more previously questioned, pressure is building on state leaders to move beyond audits and implement real accountability before the problem grows even larger.

King County paid contractors billions despite missing records, red flags

Quote:Washington’s growing crisis over taxpayer-funded programs isn’t limited to child care subsidies. A new investigation reveals billions of dollars distributed by the Evergreen State's most populous county with minimal oversight, little accountability, and in at least one case, a whistleblower fired after raising fraud concerns.

According to a bombshell report from The Seattle Times, the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), the county’s largest agency, has for years ignored red flags, dismissed warnings, and continued paying contractors even when they failed to show proof of work or spending.


The findings echo a broader pattern already exposed at the state level within the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), where audits have repeatedly found missing records, overpayments, and weak financial controls.

The Times investigation details multiple cases where contractors collected hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars with little accountability. In one case, a cosmetologist created a business just weeks before landing a $470,000 county contract to provide job training.


Many of the “partners” listed in her proposal later said they had never heard of her. Her reports were largely blank, filled with vague entries like “done” or “not yet,” yet she still received at least $314,000 before her contract was quietly terminated. There was no finding of fraud and no attempt at a clawback of the money.

In another case, a contractor billed the county for expenses from Amazon, Prime Video, and Safeway, then refused to provide documentation after the contract ended, while reportedly living overseas.
Internal records show county employees repeatedly raised alarms about misuse of funds. “There are blatant misuses of funds happening,” one employee told auditors in 2024, adding that no one was available to investigate.


When grants administrator Tom Fullum flagged potential fraud in writing, he was fired just four days later. He has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, alleging retaliation. Meanwhile, county officials sat on at least one fraud complaint for over a year, even as contractors continued collecting taxpayer money.

The problems appear systemic. During the pandemic, the number of contractors grew by 41 percent, expanding from roughly 420 to 591 organizations, but staffing levels did not keep pace. As a result, oversight suffered. The department conducted site visits for only 22 percent of contractors, falling short of its own 33 percent target, and lacked basic safeguards such as department-wide anti-fraud training and consistent invoice verification procedures.


Multiple investigations are now underway, with reported inquiries from the FBI, DOJ, and IRS.

The King County revelations come as state audits have already flagged massive issues within DCYF. Auditors identified $37 million in questionable child care payments in 2025, while previously questioning $416 million in spending due to missing documentation. For four consecutive years, auditors said it was “impossible” to trace payments to individual providers. DCYF has also acknowledged $2 million in overpayments to child care providers.


Despite this, Attorney General Nick Brown has dismissed fraud claims as “baseless.”

(01-01-2026 10:41 PM)Was SoMs Eagle Wrote:  If the civil war starts soon the Somalis and illegals will put up the strongest fight. The rest of the left will wilt.

That federal deficit is looking a lot more manageable now that we’re seeing where the money was going. The IRS needs to do a national audit in every state of every federal spending anomaly. AI could be used to make it happen.

I expect JD to be doing that in his new role to eliminate fraud.

(01-01-2026 10:41 PM)Was SoMs Eagle Wrote:  If the civil war starts soon the Somalis and illegals will put up the strongest fight. The rest of the left will wilt.

Just shoot counterfeit hundred dollar bills at them.


While they're distracted, tranquilize them, when they wake up (regardless of country of origin) they'll be in Somalia. Even give them leftover USAID backpacks with clothing, that may or may not fit.

Wow.

Four years of brain dead Biden in charge and crooked democrats and their Somali henchmen just go wild stealing from the American taxpayers.

We don’t have enough jails to hold all these criminals.

They just never lear.