Kenya will press Russia for answers after reports emerged that its citizens are being recruited to fight in Ukraine, the country’s foreign minister said.

Musalia Mudavadi told the BBC in an interview on Tuesday that the recruitment was ‘unacceptable and clandestine.’

He said the government has shut down illegal recruiters and would urge Moscow to sign an agreement barring the conscription of Kenyan citizens. 

Nairobi estimates that about 200 nationals have been recruited to fight for Russia, and Mudavadi explained that families have struggled to recover the bodies of loved ones killed in the conflict.

‘It is difficult because, remember, it depends on where the body has been found,’ the foreign minister told the BBC. ‘There some have been found in Ukraine – we are also working with the government of Ukraine to try and get the remains of those people repatriated.’

In a November post on X, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv estimates that at least 1,436 foreign nationals from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine, warning the true number may be higher.

Sybiha said Russia uses a range of tactics to recruit foreigners, including financial incentives, deception and coercion.

‘Signing a contract is equivalent to signing a death sentence,’ he wrote. ‘Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate. Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults,’ where they are quickly killed.’

Mudavadi said in December that the government had received multiple emails and urgent communications from Kenyans in distress at military camps in Russia.

‘Several of them have reported injuries among our nationals and others stranded, following attempted recruitment into the violent conflicts,’ he told the Kenya News Agency, the country’s state-run news service.

Mudavadi said the government has since tightened recruitment regulations, deregistering more than 600 non-compliant agencies and strengthening job verification through the Diaspora Placement Agency to curb exploitation.

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the United States should get ‘some benefit’ from Greenland if it’s going to ‘be on the hook for protecting this massive landmass.’ 

Vance told reporters in Armenia that, ‘it’s very early in the Greenland talks,’ amid the Trump administration’s push to acquire the Danish territory.  

‘We’ve been working quite a bit on this over the last few weeks, but it’s just very simple. Greenland is very important to the national security of the United States of America,’ Vance added. 

‘I do think that some of our allies have under-invested in Arctic security, and if we’re going to invest in Arctic security, if we’re basically going to pay a lot of money and be on the hook for protecting this massive landmass, I think it’s only reasonable for the United States to get some benefit out of that, and that’s going to be the focus of the negotiations here over the next few months,’ Vance said.

President Donald Trump said in mid-January that the U.S. needs Greenland ‘for the purpose of national security.’ 

‘It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!’ Trump said at the time. 

A week later, Trump said, ‘Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.’

‘This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,’ the president said on Truth Social. 

However, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then insisted that Denmark would not negotiate on its sovereignty despite Trump announcing the ‘framework’ of a deal. 

‘Security in the Arctic is a matter for the entire NATO alliance. Therefore, it is good and natural that it is also discussed between NATO’s Secretary General and the President of the United States. The Kingdom of Denmark has long worked for NATO to increase its engagement in the Arctic,’ Frederiksen noted in a statement, which was written in Danish. 

‘We have been in close dialogue with NATO and I have spoken to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on an ongoing basis, including both before and after his meeting with President Trump in Davos. NATO is fully aware of the position of the Kingdom of Denmark. We can negotiate on everything political; security, investments, economy. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty,’ she asserted. 

Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said earlier this month that, ‘We are pursuing a diplomatic solution through negotiations’ with the U.S. and that she is ‘hopeful and optimistic that we will find common ground that respect our red lines,’ according to Reuters. 

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 

The No. 2 House Republican in Congress tore into Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday after cold weather left 18 New York City residents dead.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., made the comments in the context of warning that Democrats’ rejection of a bipartisan compromise on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will leave critical offices — like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — with a dire lack of money.

‘What is not funded if the Democrats get their way? They will literally shut down funding for disaster relief and FEMA,’ Scalise said. ‘In the middle of a storm that in New York City alone — you want to see what socialism gets you — people now have frozen to death under the leadership of the socialist Mamdani. That’s what Democrat leadership gets you.’

Mamdani confirmed on Monday that an 18th person died in New York City during a period of dangerously low temperatures up and down the East Coast.

‘Since Friday’s press conference, one additional New Yorker lost their life on the streets of our city as a result of this cold snap. The total lives lost is now 18. Each life lost is a tragedy, and we will continue to hold their families in our thoughts,’ Mamdani said during a press conference about a separate issue.

He urged homeless residents to shield themselves from below-freezing temperatures at a shelter, while his administration has also deployed warming vehicles throughout the city.

Republicans, however, have accused Mamdani of not doing enough to expand access to emergency services during the bitter winter.

It’s not clear what role FEMA currently has in aiding New Yorkers during the city’s cold snap, but its potential cutoff in funding if DHS shuts down at the end of this week is one of Republicans’ main pressure points in forcing Democrats to agree to a deal.

Scalise also pointed out that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) could also see its employees forced to work without pay if DHS funding lapsed.

‘They want to shut down TSA. So just take Atlanta’s airport, LaGuardia [in New York City]. Those two airports alone having been shut down, if the Democrats get their way, will wreak havoc with tens of millions of Americans who just want to go see their family members, want to travel for a wedding, or whatever the case may be,’ he said.

‘Maybe they’re trying to start a small business and want to go to another city to try to create some jobs. They won’t be able to do that because Democrats want to have a tantrum, not to defund ICE, because again, ICE is fully funded, but just because they want to cause chaos in America to get open borders.’

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose funding Democrats have taken issue with specifically, got an injection of billions of dollars from President Donald Trump’s big, beautiful bill last year.

Fox News Digital reached out to the New York City mayor’s office for a response to Scalise’s comments.

As U.S.-Iran diplomacy remains primarily focused on Tehran’s nuclear program, Israeli officials and analysts warn that ballistic missiles remain a central red line for Jerusalem and could shape any decision on unilateral action.

Before departing for his trip to Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to press Israel’s priorities in the talks. ‘I will present to the president our views regarding the principles of the negotiations — the important principles — and, in my view, they are important not only for Israel, but for anyone in the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East.’

Those priorities, Israeli officials say, extend beyond the nuclear file and include Iran’s missile capabilities. Israeli defense officials have recently warned U.S. counterparts that Iran’s ballistic missile program constitutes an existential threat to Israel and that Jerusalem is prepared to act alone if necessary, according to reporting by The Jerusalem Post.

The outlet reported that Israeli security officials conveyed in recent weeks their intent to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities and production infrastructure through a series of high-level exchanges with Washington. Military planners outlined potential operational concepts aimed at degrading the program, including strikes on key manufacturing and development sites.

A spokesperson for Israel’s defense minister declined to comment on the issue.

Sima Shine, a former senior Israeli intelligence official and current senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, told Fox News Digital that limiting talks to the nuclear issue risks missing what Israel considers the broader threat.

‘If negotiations deal only with the nuclear file and ignore the missiles, Israel will remain exposed,’ Shine said. ‘Iran treats its ballistic missile program as its main deterrence and will not give it up.’ She stressed that Tehran views them as a defensive and deterrent capability dictated by the supreme leader. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country would not negotiate on its ballistic missile program, rejecting a core U.S. demand and further dimming prospects for a breakthrough deal. Shine described that stance as a fundamental red line for Israel. 

She also warned that Tehran may be stalling diplomatically while assessing whether Washington will limit the talks to nuclear constraints alone.

‘They have room to show flexibility on enrichment,’ she said, noting that activity slowed after strikes on facilities, ‘but missiles are different. That they would not discuss.’

Israeli concerns extend beyond the negotiating table. A former intelligence official familiar with strategic planning said Israel retains the capability to strike independently if necessary.

‘Israel can act by itself if there is no choice,’ the former official said, adding that missile expansion and regional threats would be key triggers.

Shine says the optics of Israeli pressure on Washington could complicate matters.

‘If missiles become the central public demand, it may look as if Israel is pushing the U.S. toward military action,’ she said. ‘If that fails, Israel could be blamed.’

She added that Iran’s missile arsenal is not aimed solely at Israel but forms part of a broader deterrence strategy against the United States and regional adversaries.

For Israel, the implication is clear. A nuclear agreement that leaves Iran’s missile infrastructure untouched could be seen in Jerusalem as stabilizing the regime while leaving the most immediate threat in place. That calculation, Israeli analysts say, defines the red line.

A Senate Republican who has routinely broken from the GOP and President Donald Trump announced that she wouldn’t support efforts to pass voter ID legislation. 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a post on X on Tuesday that she would oppose forthcoming legislation that would enact more stringent election integrity laws backed by both Trump and conservatives in the upper chamber. Her opposition underscores a reality many in the Senate already acknowledge: without extraordinary steps such as nuking the filibuster or support from Democrats (a non-starter), the effort is effectively dead on arrival.

Murkowski panned a pair of bills — the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act, and the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act — two voter ID and election integrity proposals making their way through the House. 

She noted that when congressional Democrats ‘attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed.’

‘Now, I’m seeing proposals such as the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively do just that. Once again, I do not support these efforts,’ Murkowski said.  

Congressional Democrats under former President Joe Biden tried and failed to enact two election reform bills, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act. 

Congressional Republicans strongly opposed those efforts, and argued at the time that the bills would effectively nationalize elections and give Democrats control of the election system across the country.

Conservatives’ bid to reshape the election landscape also runs into the Constitution, which delegates election authorities to state and local officials and gives the federal government little input. 

‘Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska,’ Murkowski said.  

‘Election Day is fast approaching,’ she continued. ‘Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies, likely without the necessary resources. Ensuring public trust in our elections is at the core of our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve this.’

Her pushback comes as Trump has called on the GOP to nationalize elections. House Republicans are gearing up to vote on the SAVE America Act and a cohort of Senate Republicans are eying ways to get the bill onto the Senate floor.

Several Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have come out against Trump’s call to nationalize elections. But public opposition to the voter ID efforts among Republicans is few and far between.

But given the political reality of the Senate, where the 60-vote filibuster threshold is an impossible bar to overcome without Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats’ support, the bill will likely die.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he plans to discuss Iran and Gaza with U.S. President Donald Trump during their upcoming visit.

The foreign figure, who is traveling to the U.S. to meet with Trump, indicated that the two nations share a close bond, and that he and Trump are close as well.

‘I am now leaving for the United States for my seventh trip to meet with President Trump since he was elected for a second term. This, of course, does not include his unforgettable visit to Israel and his speech in the Knesset,’ Netanyahu noted, according to the Israeli government.

‘I think these reflect the unique closeness of the extraordinary relationship that we have with the United States, that I personally have with the President, that the State of Israel has with the United States — unprecedented in our history,’ he said.

‘On this trip we will discuss a range of issues: Gaza, the region, but of course, first and foremost, the negotiations with Iran. I will present to the President our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East,’ Netanyahu said.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declared, ‘President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have a great relationship and Israel has had no better friend in its history than President Trump. We continue to work closely with our ally Israel to implement President Trump’s historic Gaza peace agreement and to strengthen regional security in the Middle East.’ 

Trump issued a Truth Social post last month warning that the U.S. will attack Iran if the Islamic Republic does not negotiate a nuclear deal.

‘Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties,’ Trump noted in the post. 

‘As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ’Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,’ he warned.

Emboldened congressional Democrats are once again expanding their battleground map for this year’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their razor-thin majority in the House.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Tuesday added five more offensive opportunities in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, South Carolina and Virginia to their list of what they consider are vulnerable Republican-held House districts.

That brings the total number of districts Democrats are hoping to flip to 44. The DCCC notes that all five of the new districts they’re adding to their list of ‘offensive targets’ were carried by President Donald Trump by 13 points or fewer in the 2024 elections.

Republicans currently control the House by a 218-214 majority, with two right-tilting districts and one left-leaning seat currently vacant. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in the midterms to win back the majority for the first time in four years.

The move by the DCCC comes as Democrats are energized, despite the party’s polling woes. Democrats, thanks to their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation, scored decisive victories in the 2025 elections and have won or over performed in a slew of scheduled and special ballot box contests since Trump returned to the White House over a year ago.

Republicans, meanwhile, are facing traditional political headwinds in which the party in power in the nation’s capital normally suffers setbacks in the midterm elections. And the GOP is also dealing with Trump’s continued underwater approval ratings and national polls — including the latest Fox News survey — that indicate many Americans feel things are worse off than they were a year ago and remain pessimistic about the economy.

‘Democrats are on offense, and our map reflects the fact that everyday Americans are tired of Republicans’ broken promises and ready for change in Congress,’ DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene emphasized in a statement. ‘Healthcare, housing, groceries, energy bills — they are all going up, and it’s directly because of Republican policies that favor the wealthiest few while leaving hardworking families behind.’

And DelBene predicted, ‘Going into the midterms, Democrats have the winning message, top-tier candidates, and the public on our side, paving the way for a new Democratic House Majority under the leadership of a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries.’

But the rival National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) scoffed at the move by the DCCC.

‘National Democrats are daydreaming while the ground collapses beneath them. Democrats are getting demolished in the money race, their incumbents are hanging by a thread, and their disastrous primaries are producing unelectable far-left socialists. The battleground favors Republicans,’ NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The NRCC is currently targeting what it considers 29 vulnerable House Democrats in the midterms.

The new districts being targeted by the Democrats are Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Jeff Crank won re-election in 2024 by 14 points. They also include Minnesota’s 1st CD and Montana’s 1st CD, where GOP Reps. Brad Finstad and Ryan Zinke are seeking re-election, and Virginia’s 5th CD, where Republican Rep. John McGuire is running for another term.

The fifth district the DCCC is adding to their target list is the open seat race in South Carolina’s 1st CD, where Republican Rep. Nancy Mace is running for governor rather than seeking re-election.

The top two congressional Democrats have, for now, rejected President Donald Trump and Republicans’ offer to avert a shutdown as the deadline rapidly approaches.

For several hours Monday night, both Republicans and Democrats were near-radio silent about the nature of the counter-offer from the White House. That was, in part, because some lawmakers had no idea what was in it.

But the silence appeared to spell yet another positive step toward averting the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Until Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., trashed the offer Monday night.

‘Republicans shared an outline of a counterproposal, which included neither details nor legislative text,’ the duo said in a joint statement.

‘The initial GOP response is both incomplete and insufficient in terms of addressing the concerns Americans have about [Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s] lawless conduct,’ they continued. ‘Democrats await additional detail and text.’

While not the death knell for negotiations to fund DHS or to agree to a short-term funding extension, it does slow some of the optimistic momentum that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said was building over the weekend.

Democrats’ prime objective is reining in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. They finally turned over their legislative proposals to rein in DHS and ICE to Republicans on Saturday.

The proposal they submitted included items that are a bridge too far for Republicans, including requiring ICE agents to get judicial warrants, unmask and have identification ready — some in the GOP warn doing so would lead to more agents being doxxed, when a person’s private information is made public, like their address.

The White House’s counter-offer was in response to Democrats’ list of demands and has been kept under heavy lock and key.

Before Schumer and Jeffries’ rebellion, Republicans were already mulling turning to another short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), for DHS. That’s because after the House passed the Trump-Schumer funding deal last week, lawmakers had only eight days to figure out how to fund the trickiest of all federal agencies.

Now, the Friday deadline is quickly bearing down on Congress, and lawmakers are set to leave Washington, D.C., on Thursday for a weeklong recess. Many will head to Germany for the Munich Security Conference.

Thune said that he would likely tee up another CR on Tuesday, and at the time was optimistic that negotiations were moving in a direction that could lead some Democrats to support the move.

‘We will have to vote on something, obviously, if there’s additional time that’s needed, and hopefully Democrats will be amenable to doing another — an extension,’ Thune said.

A damning new report was released Tuesday morning ahead of a House Ways & Means Committee hearing aimed at exposing foreign actors sending money to U.S. nonprofits.

The hearing, which is titled, ‘Foreign Influence in American Non-profits: Unmasking Threats from Beijing and Beyond,’ will begin around 10:00 a.m. EST.

Six foreign entities have funneled more than $2.65 billion into American politics, according to a new report by conservative watchdog Americans for Public Trust (APT), which highlights a loophole that APT says allows foreign nationals to funnel money to influence American politics ‘virtually unchecked.’   

Foreign nationals are prohibited from donating directly to political campaigns, but money supporting U.S. candidates for office or their viewpoints can also come from 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) nonprofits.   

‘Foreign donors can currently fund U.S.-based advocacy groups – most often 501(c)(3)s and 501(c)(4)s – virtually unchecked,’ the report alleges. It adds that while the money APT uncovered is ‘highly concerning’ solely on its own, there is ‘undoubtedly even more overseas funding sources backing and influencing U.S. advocacy efforts.’

The six entities highlighted in APT’s report come from Switzerland, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The largest donor identified in the report was Switzerland-based Oak Foundation, established by British billionaire retail mogul Alan Parker, which has given around $753 million to U.S.-based advocacy groups. 

Through the Oak Foundation, Parker has supported left-wing environmental groups like Greenpeace, the Environmental Law Institute, the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund, according to the Capital Research Center’s Influence Watch, which cited the group’s grant database that now appears to be removed. 

Influence Watch added that through its grants, the Oak Foundation has positioned itself as a major supporter of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which China critics argue is part of a geopolitical strategy disguised as infrastructure investment. 

APT’s report also points out that the Swiss-based Oak Foundation has poured tens of millions into the Arabella network of left-wing advocacy groups, including $67 million to the New Venture Fund, $12 million to the Windward Fund and $2.8 million to the Hopewell Fund. The left-wing Tides Foundation has also received money from the Oak Foundation.

The left-wing Arabella network received funding from the Copenhagen-based KR Foundation and the Swiss-based Laudes Foundation as well, according to APT, which found these two groups have passed a combined $55.6 million to U.S. advocacy groups. The KR Foundation was founded by the descendants of Villum Kann Rasmussen, a Danish civil engineer and businessman who founded the VKR Group, while the Laudes Foundation was established by the Brenninkmeijer family, a German-Dutch business dynasty.          

Entities founded by Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss came in second on APT’s list of six foreign donor organizations. The Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund have reportedly passed more than $673 million to U.S.-based advocacy groups. 

‘The groups funded by Wyss utilize their immense resources to advance a progressive agenda, mold policy debates and decisions, and influence American elections. His foreign funding network focuses on policy priorities such as radical environmentalism, championing sweeping changes to election laws, and directly engaging in campaign activities, including voter mobilization efforts and political attack ads,’ APT’s report states. ‘Wyss’ foreign money has found its way to prominent left-wing organizations including Fund for a Better Future, the League of Conservation Voters, the National Redistricting Action Fund, Planned Parenthood, and Indivisible.’

The remaining two foreign entities mentioned in APT’s report, the U.K.-based Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Quadrature Climate Foundation, have allegedly passed hundreds of millions of dollars to U.S.-based groups, respectively, similar to Parker’s and Wyss’ groups. 

CIFF has passed approximately $638.2 million to U.S. advocacy groups, while Quadrature Climate Foundation has passed over around $532.5 million, according to APT.

CIFF, backed by British billionaire Christopher Hohn, has engaged in ‘aggressive left-wing advocacy’ around climate change and social justice, including a group wanting to ban gas stoves, according to APT. Among the funding is also more than $10 million to two Arabella-managed nonprofits, according to the report.

APT also accuses CIFF of fostering ‘alarming ties to groups in China linked to the Chinese Communist Party,’ pointing out its CEO is part of a member organization overseen by the CCP and holds a position with ‘the Belt and Road International Green Development Coalition.’

Meanwhile, the Quadrature Climate Foundation, which also donates to the Arabella network, has been described as sending its grants to ‘some of the world’s most influential campaign groups and scientific institutions’ in an effort to steer ‘both research and lobbying on the green transition.’ It is the philanthropic arm of the London-based hedge fund Quadrature Capital, founded by billionaires Greg Skinner and Suneil Setiya.  

Quadrature Climate Foundation’s largest recipient, according to APT, was ClimateWorks Foundation, which got $147 million from them. 25 million dollars of that money went ‘to support the acceleration of electric vehicles,’ while another $6 million was reportedly earmarked for financial regulation efforts aimed at mitigating climate change risks.

‘For years, foreign organizations and megadonors have quietly poured billions of dollars into the U.S. political sphere with little to no accountability,’ APT complained in its report. ‘Foreign funding has infiltrated nearly every sector of the U.S. political sphere.’

A Tuesday Senate hearing is set to expose billions in fraud in Minnesota as well as foreign backing for anti-ICE agitators across the country, Sen. Josh Hawley’s office told Fox News Digital.

The hearing before the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Disaster Management, which Hawley chairs, will feature testimony from a Minnesota state senator and representatives of third-party watchdog groups. Systemic fraud backed by transnational groups has stolen billions from child nutrition, FEMA assistance, housing, Medicaid and substance abuse services, the testimony is expected to say.

‘American taxpayers are getting robbed blind—billions stolen in Minnesota, and hundreds of billions siphoned out of the country by transnational criminals every year—all while foreign actors coordinate chaos on our streets,’ Hawley told Fox News in a statement.

‘Enough is enough. It’s time to root out the dark money and shut down the foreign influence,’ he added.

Minnesota State Sen. Mark Koran’s testimony will highlight the role Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison played in allowing fraud to fester and spread across the state in what he calls the ‘largest expansion and fastest acceleration of fraud this country has ever seen.’

Witnesses are expected to say that senior officials were not only aware of the fraud but have also taken steps to hide it from public scrutiny by backdating audit records and cracking down on whistleblowers.

A Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) whistleblower told Fox News that she was the victim of a ‘smear campaign’ after raising red flags about fraud in the state since 2019.

Federal prosecutors estimate that up to $9 billion was stolen through a network of fraudulent fronts posing as daycare centers, food programs and health clinics. The majority of those charged, so far, in the ongoing investigation are part of Minnesota’s Somali population.

In addition to Koran, lawmakers will hear testimony from Seamus Bruner, the vice president of the Government Accountability Institute; Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, the acting vice president of Policy & Government Affairs for the Project on Government Oversight, and Haywood Talcove, the CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Government.

Talcove’s testimony will focus on transnational groups that he says are exploiting federal assistance programs and using stolen funds support ‘organized crime, drug trafficking, human exploitation, and, in some cases, terrorist-affiliated or hostile foreign actors.’

Bruner’s testimony will also focus on foreign influence, linking the funding streams to foreign actors, including individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.