By Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
As a 21-year veteran of U.S. Navy Intelligence, a counter-terrorism and foreign policy expert, and the original whistleblower on Minnesota’s daycare fraud schemes, I’ve spent over a decade fighting the shadows of corruption that plague our state. Since 2017, I’ve publicly warned about systemic exploitation—front companies laundering money, fraud funding terrorism, and policies that harm the vulnerable while enriching criminals. What started with daycare and home healthcare scams has ballooned into a full-blown crisis encompassing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid expansions, voter roll manipulations, and billion-dollar scandals like Feeding Our Future. With glaring data spanning more than a decade, it’s time to confront the uncomfortable truth: Our elected officials and bureaucrats are either complicit in these fraud schemes or so staggeringly incompetent that they’ve caused immeasurable harm to Minnesotans. Neither excuse is acceptable.
Let’s start with my own record. Back in February 2017, I called out the exploitation of Minnesotans through front companies participating in money laundering and fraud. By April 2019, I was urging citizens tired of being exploited to read about why Minnesota had become ground zero for criminal networks and rampant daycare fraud. In July 2019, I directly challenged Rep. Ilhan Omar on her disingenuous statements, pointing out how Minnesota’s Somali daycare and home healthcare fraud was funding Al-Shabaab terrorists. And in November 2019, I questioned whether discussions on policies were addressing the ongoing daycare and healthcare fraud that exploits taxpayers and funds terrorist organizations. These weren’t isolated rants—they were part of hundreds of public posts and thousands of confidential reports I filed while on active duty. Yet, despite undeniable evidence, our leaders did nothing.
Fast forward to today, and the fraud has metastasized. The ACA, once touted as a lifeline, has proven to be a Ponzi-like scheme benefiting insiders over those in need. Democrats’ expansions, including enhanced subsidies set to expire in 2025, have driven record enrollments—24 million nationwide—but at the cost of billions in waste from improper enrollments and duplicates. CMS flagged 2.8 million potential duplicates this year alone, with lax verification allowing ineligible non-citizens to siphon funds meant for citizens. In Minnesota, we’ve seen “massive” fraud in housing stabilization tied to Medicaid, with prosecutors charging schemes that stole millions from programs for the vulnerable. Premiums are skyrocketing not because of subsidy cliffs, but due to this rampant abuse—ghost policies, ineligible beneficiaries, and a system rigged to favor fraudsters over hardworking families.
Who bears responsibility? Look no further than our political elite. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s dishonest narratives push for ACA extensions while ignoring how these “built-in favors” to the undeserving inflate costs and limit access for citizens. Her fearmongering about a “health care cliff” distracts from the real scandal: Democrats holding government funding hostage to perpetuate a $200 billion giveaway that enables fraud. Gov. Tim Walz’s administration oversaw the Feeding Our Future debacle—a $250 million COVID-era fraud where criminals exploited child nutrition programs under his watch, leading to lavish mansions and cars for thieves while kids went hungry. Walz twists facts, framing temporary fund lapses as “cuts” to justify bloated bureaucracies, all while his policies amplify energy costs and crime waves.
Then there’s Rep. Angie Craig, who just days ago boasted about meeting with Walz to “lower the cost of healthcare, support Minnesota farmers, ensure high-quality education for every student, and drive economic growth across the state.” What hypocrisy! While posing for photos in cozy offices, her party enables the very fraud that’s jacking up premiums and draining resources from farmers, students, and families. This isn’t collaboration—it’s theater, masking a system where federal dollars are laundered through state programs to ineligible groups, costing Minnesotans hundreds of millions. Craig and her allies know about the voter roll inflation too—3.6 million registered against 4.2 million eligible, riddled with ghosts and duplicates—that siphons billions more in federal funds. Secretary of State Steve Simon’s resistance to DOJ probes screams cover-up, blocking transparency on this criminal enterprise.
These aren’t victimless crimes. Rural Minnesotans face double the premium hikes, urban businesses battle repeat offenders enabled by soft policies, and our grid teeters under “green” gimmicks. Threats escalate—from organized crime backlash to terrorist incursions tied to fraud funding. The DFL’s machine, fueled by ActBlue and USAID scams, is crumbling, but not before robbing citizens blind.
Minnesotans, we must ask: Who do these officials serve? Fraudsters, special interests, or foreign networks—not U.S. citizens. Their complicity or incompetence has caused unmeasurable harm, from skyrocketing costs to eroded trust. As your 2026 gubernatorial candidate, I’ll prioritize real reforms: Real-time audits, citizenship proofs, fraud crackdowns, and servant leadership that puts Minnesotans first. No more shell games. Join me at parrish4mn.com to demand accountability and rebuild our state. The time for excuses is over—it’s time for truth and action.
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