(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Federal prosecutors declare a wide-ranging Minnesota fraud scheme ripped off greater than $9 billion in taxpayer dough — however loyal MS NOW and NCS viewers haven’t heard a factor about it.
A overview of MS NOW and NCS’s broadcasts since December 18 — when prosecutors claimed the fraud operation was a lot bigger than beforehand reported — reveals it has not been talked about a single time by both outlet. Both retailers wouldn’t have tales on the fraud scheme on their respective web sites, both.
For comparability, Fox News has lined the subject dozens of occasions since then, and NewsNation additionally lined it a handful of occasions.
But there may be an argument to be made that that is the most important home story of the previous month — and MS NOW and NCS have failed their viewers by ignoring it.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson mentioned the sprawling rip-off ripped off numerous authorities applications, from Medicaid to housing help to pandemic-era applications.
“The magnitude cannot be overstated,” Thompson mentioned. “What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering, industrial-scale fraud.”
Thompson mentioned the rip-off was really easy that it enticed crooks from different states to come back to Minnesota to steal funds.
The scheme, the New York Post reported, was pulled off by “dozens of people — the vast majority from Minnesota’s Somali community.” More than 90 folks have been charged.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has confronted sharp criticism for the scheme occurring below his nostril. He defended himself final week by saying prosecutors have been “speculating” in regards to the large scope; to “extrapolate what that number is for sensationalism,” he added, “doesn’t really help.”
The rip-off has additionally led to criticism of Minnesota’s Somali neighborhood. And that mistrust has solely elevated previously few days, after impartial reporter Nick Shirley went to several Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota and discovered they have been empty.
Employees have been typically hostile when requested fundamental questions on the place the youngsters have been or how Shirley might enroll his personal child. Shirley’s video report has been seen greater than 88 million occasions since being posted on December 26 — and has led to extra questions on how brazen and deep the fraud scheme runs in Minnesota.
And as talked about above, Shirley has performed extra reporting on the the subject than NCS or MS NOW.
There has been one reference to fraud in Minnesota since December 18.
On the identical day prosecutors mentioned the scheme was a lot bigger than beforehand believed, MS NOW’s Katy Tur began her program off by saying President Donald Trump had “unleashed” an “attack” on Somalis over the fraud claims.
But not each mainstream outlet has acted just like the story doesn’t exist. The New York Times reported in late November some Somalis residing in Minnesota orchestrated a scheme that stole $1 billion in taxpayer cash. Tur referenced the story in her intro — however didn’t point out the report was possible what spurred Trump’s harsh feedback about Somalis within the first place.
In early December, Trump mentioned he did not want extra Somalis like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) coming to the U.S. and “ripping off” taxpayers.
More not too long ago, NCS and MS NOW commentators have merely ignored the fraud claims when discussing Trump’s feedback on Somalis.
Rachel Maddow famous Trump had known as Somalis “garbage” whereas speaking to fellow MS NOW character Nicolle Wallace, with out mentioning the fraud claims. MS NOW anchor Richard Lui on Tuesday mentioned Minnesota’s Somali neighborhood was “feeling [Trump’s] wrath,” with out mentioning fraud. MS NOW political analyst Cornell Velcher on December 22 mentioned the president was “attacking Somalian immigrants” and “calling them the most horrific and racist things,” with out mentioning the fraud claims.
And on NCS, MeidasTouch commentator Adam Mockler on December 23 mentioned Republicans have been “targeting” Somalis, in addition to Haitans, LGTBQ folks, and ladies. Again, the fraud claims weren’t talked about.
I’ll allow you to speculate as to why MS NOW and NCS preserve failing to report the total story.
The put up NCS and MS NOW Ignore $9 Billion ‘Industrial-Scale’ Minnesota Fraud Claims first appeared on Mediaite.