MNNEAPOLIS — Fraudsters have absconded with $18 billion from Minnesota Medicaid programs in “industrial-scale” abuse of the system. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompso for the federal government’s Minnesota District, a Trump appointee, made the claim in a news conference. There were immediate doubts about the Thompson’s claim of $18 billion. — far more than anyone has previously alleged. His credibility is clouded as aligning too much with President Trump’s unbridled propagandist rhetoric to denigrate Minnesota as a Democrat-controlled hotbed of corruption. Thompson failed to itemize evidence to support his $18 billion figure. His core message verbatim:
“This is not a handful of bad actors. It is a staggering, industrial-scale fraud that has swamped Minnesota.”
Then Thompson hedged a bit on his numbers: A “significant portion” of the $18 billion “could be” fraudulent. The sum, he said, might be “in the order of half or more.” The precise loss will depend on ongoing investigations and audits, he said. Nonetheless, he took unusual speculative liberties with facts —uncommon in pre-Trum eras for traditionally careful and restrained federal attorneys. Thompson was appointed by Trump in June as acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota. He has since been replaced by Dan Rosen. However, osen is out of the country getting married, leaving Thompon temporarily in charge again. A suspicion is that Thompson’s news conference claims were orchestrated from the White House. About his $18 billion claim, Thompson acknowledged the need for forensic accountants and regulators to quantify losses.
Somalis and terrorism
Thompson did, however, softened Trump grossly exaggerated assertions that Somali immigrants comprise most of the Minnesota fraud and have channeled their ill-gotten gains to international terrorists: “There’s no indication that the defendants that we charge were radicalized or seeking to fund al Shabaab or other terrorist groups.” he said, So while ome money went to Somalia, it was largely to Kenya, including real estate. Trump has been quick to embrace racist conspiratorial theories that generalize about U.S. immigrants from Somalia as in cahoots with al Shabaab.
Thompson. “Industrial-scale fraud,” he calls it in usually strident language designed to attract public attention.
Thompson profile
Thompson attended Gustavus Adolphus College. Law degree from Stanford. A Trump appointee as interim U.S. attorney under Trump’s later appointee of Dan Rosen to the post. Earlier Thompson chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Before that he was a federal prosecutor for the District of Minnesota. There has been speculation in Republican circles about Thompson as a potential candidate for state attorney general against incumbent Keith Ellison, a Democrat.
East Africa. Comprises 18 sovereign nations, including Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
Thompson specifics
At the new conference Thompson announced his office was joining existing investigations by other federal agencies. These include cases, some new, some not against:
> Pristine Health: Claims for $750,000 spent partly on international travel.
> Safe Lodgings: Claims of $150,000 into cryptocurrency, the owner fleeing the country after receiving a grand jury subpoena.
> Runner and Retzel Real Estate: Vlaims that the owners, both of Philadelphia engaged in “fraud tourism” — out-of-state actors enrolling businesses in Minnesota programs, hen billing $3.5 million for services they didn’t provide.
> Star Autism Center: Vlaims that that kickbacks were made to parents to have children diagnosed with autism for $6 million with $200,000 to Kenya.
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