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President Donald Trump’s administration is moving aggressively to root out corruption and fraud in Minnesota, freezing millions in federal aid and suspending thousands of borrowers amid what officials describe as one of the largest welfare and pandemic-era fraud schemes in U.S. history.
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She warned that these individuals will be banned from all SBA loan programs going forward, including disaster loans, and that cases will be referred to federal law enforcement for prosecution and repayment.
Loeffler said Minnesota is just the first state under review for pandemic-era fraud, signaling a broader crackdown under the Trump administration’s America First agenda. She stressed that after years of unchecked abuse, the American people would finally see those who stole from taxpayers held accountable.
The freeze targets Small Business Development Centers, women’s business centers, microloan programs, and other federal disbursements, effectively pausing the entire 2025 schedule of SBA support to Minnesota.
The move comes as investigations reveal that Minnesota became ground zero for pandemic-era fraud, with a Somali-centered criminal network reportedly siphoning at least $1 billion through welfare and Medicaid programs, contributing to a total estimated loss of $9 billion.
Loeffler said the Walz administration bears responsibility for allowing this system to metastasize, dismissing early warnings from legislators and whistleblowers and labeling oversight efforts as racially insensitive. She blamed the governor for making Minnesota the epicenter of one of the largest fraud scandals of the COVID-19 era, describing the state’s policies as deliberately designed to pump out welfare funding without oversight or accountability.
Trump administration officials point to failures in the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan initiatives as prime examples of Minnesota’s corruption. Approximately $2.5 million in PPP and EIDL funds were tied directly to fraudulent activity, while an additional $430 million in PPP loans flagged as potentially fraudulent were still disbursed and, in many cases, forgiven under the previous administration.
She warned that taxpayers would no longer foot the bill for fraudulent schemes and that federal resources would be redirected to law-abiding small business owners. “SBA’s responsibility is to taxpayers and small business owners, not to criminals or the politicians who enable them,” Loeffler said.
The action has drawn praise from supporters of President Trump, who argue it reflects a return to strict accountability and enforcement after years of permissive governance. They say Minnesota’s systemic failures provide a cautionary tale of what happens when political correctness and ideology override fiscal responsibility.
Independent reporting highlighted vacant daycares allegedly receiving taxpayer dollars, prompting the Department of Health and Human Services to freeze payments. These investigations have fueled the broader effort to hold state and local officials accountable for mismanagement and corruption.