Bessent says Omar ‘gaslighting’ public as Treasury investigates alleged Minnesota welfare fraud

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ripped Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for “gaslighting the American people” about allegations of widespread fraud from the Minnesota Somali community.

After reports surfaced of a widespread fraud scheme in Minnesota allegedly largely orchestrated by Somali asylum-seekers, President Donald Trump terminated temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota. Bessent followed Trump’s announcement with an announcement of his own that the Treasury Department would investigate allegations that the money diverted in the fraud scheme was funneled to the Somali terrorist organization al Shabaab.

Bessent told CBS News‘s Margaret Brennan on Sunday that the department started the investigation last week and that it is ongoing. “We’ll see where it goes, but I can tell you that it’s terrible,” Bessent said. He criticized Omar for what

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