By Phillip Charles Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota
October 2, 2025
Minnesotans, it’s time to wake up. Our elections, our communities, and our future are under siege—not by chance, but by design. As your candidate for governor in 2026, I’m sounding the alarm on a crisis that’s been swept under the rug for too long: Minnesota’s voter rolls are bloated with fraud, and Secretary of State Steve Simon is fighting tooth and nail to keep it hidden. From ghost registrations to fake services milking billions in subsidies, the system is rigged to dilute your voice. But we’ve got the truth, the data, and the momentum to make 2026 a turning point. Together, we can expose this scandal, clean our rolls, and take back our state.
The Smoking Gun: Fraud Across Minnesota’s Systems
Let’s cut to the chase. Minnesota’s public programs—Medicaid, housing subsidies, disability services—are riddled with fraud, and it’s not just a Twin Cities problem; it’s statewide. Federal and state investigations in 2025 alone have uncovered jaw-dropping schemes: $50 million clawed back from fake Medicaid claims, $10 million from ghost housing clients, and 275 fraudulent immigration cases in just nine days. Nonprofits in Minneapolis and St. Paul have been caught billing for “services” to dead people, nonexistent families, and sham addresses—pocketing funds for luxury cars and overseas properties while our communities crumble.
The numbers don’t lie:
• Medicaid Fraud: Over $14 million siphoned through fake autism therapies in Minneapolis, with providers like Asha Hassan indicted for billing ghost clients. Statewide, 15 disability firms were suspended for $5 million in fraudulent claims, with 30–40% of urban claims flagged as bogus.
• Housing Fraud: The Housing Stabilization Program (HSP) lost millions to providers billing for “clients” who never existed—$2.3 million to $8 million in one 2025 sweep, centered in Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
• Immigration Fraud: Operation Twin Shield (September 19–October 1, 2025) exposed 275 fraudulent immigration cases in the Twin Cities—sham marriages, forged documents, fake jobs—potentially leading to 100+ deportations. This isn’t random; it’s a pipeline padding numbers for federal cash.
This isn’t “isolated.” It’s systemic, exploiting Minnesota’s progressive policies like MinnesotaCare and sanctuary city ordinances to funnel billions to criminals while our streets empty out. The kicker? These scams inflate population counts—fake people, fake services, fake residents—propping up subsidies that keep the system afloat.
The Voter Roll Cover-Up: Steve Simon’s Stonewall
Now, connect the dots to our elections. Minnesota’s voter rolls—4.13 million statewide, with 1.15 million in Hennepin and Ramsey counties—are suspiciously plump. The state’s registration rate (~88–90% of eligible citizens) is the nation’s highest, thanks to automatic DMV signups and same-day voting. But when you dig, the math gets shaky. We’ve lost ~47,865 net domestic migrants since 2019, with U.S. citizens in Minneapolis (-1,179) and St. Paul (-916) dipping from 2022 to 2025. Yet, rolls keep climbing, driven by what? Undocumented immigrants (~130,000 statewide, 34,000 in the cities) and fraud-linked ghosts who don’t belong.
Steve Simon, our Secretary of State, is blocking the truth. The Department of Justice sued him in July 2025 for refusing full voter roll access under federal law (HAVA), demanding names, addresses, and even partial SSNs to root out dead voters, duplicates, and non-citizens. Simon’s excuse? Privacy. But that’s a smokescreen. Audits show Minnesota’s rolls are cleaned quarterly (~5,000 duplicates purged yearly), yet isolated fraud—like 100 fake registrations in a 2025 Nevada-MN conspiracy—slips through. If just 1% of rolls are ineligible (a conservative estimate), that’s 41,000 fake voters statewide, with thousands in the Twin Cities alone—enough to swing tight races.
And then there’s the October 10th election rules hearing. Simon tried to bury it, scheduling it quietly, capping attendance at 50, with glitchy virtual feeds and no parking for out-of-towners. It took candidates like me, Scott Jensen, Matt Birk, and grassroots warriors to force it public. Why hide? Because these rules—potentially tweaking verification or registration—could expose the bloat. Simon’s pushback, from DOJ defiance to hearing gatekeeping, screams cover-up.
The 2026 Game-Changer: Cleaning the Rolls, Reclaiming Our Voice
Here’s the stakes for 2026. With Governor Walz termed out, the gubernatorial race is wide open. State House and Senate seats are up for grabs, and U.S. House districts like the 5th (Minneapolis) and 2nd (suburbs) are battlegrounds. Hennepin and Ramsey counties deliver ~25% of Minnesota’s votes, historically 60–65% DFL. But if we scrub the rolls—removing undocumented immigrants (~34,000 in the cities), fraud-linked ghosts (~200–300 from 2025 probes), and any duplicates—that’s a 5–6% population drop and a potential 1–2% cut in voter rolls (11,500–23,000 votes).
What does that mean?
• Minneapolis: A 2024 Harris win (60–38%) could tighten to 55–45% with 5,000–10,000 ineligible voters gone, flipping close wards.
• St. Paul: Ramsey’s 62% DFL edge shrinks, giving GOP a shot in swing precincts.
• Statewide: A 1% purge (41,000 votes) could decide the governor’s race (2024 margins were ~2–5 points in key counties) or flip legislative control, where DFL holds a one-seat Senate edge.
This isn’t speculation—data backs it. Fraud in Medicaid and housing already inflates aid rolls by 10–20% in urban probes. If even half that bleeds into voter rolls, it’s thousands of votes. The DOJ’s lawsuit and 2025 crackdowns (50+ arrests, $20M+ recovered) prove the system’s porous. Simon’s resistance only fuels the fire.
Call to Action: Shine a Light, Win 2026
Minnesotans, this is our moment. The 2026 election isn’t just a vote; it’s a battle to reclaim our state from criminals gaming the system. Here’s how we fight:
• Storm the October 10th Hearing: Show up, demand answers, film everything. If Simon limits seats, flood social media with #OpenTheRolls. Make it impossible to hide.
• Push for Audits: Call your county auditors, pressure legislators, support the DOJ suit. Demand cross-checks with USCIS/SSA to root out non-citizens and ghosts.
• Spread the Word: Share this article on X, talk to neighbors, rally at town halls. Every voice counts—let’s make Minnesota’s fraud a national story.
• Vote in 2026: A clean roll means your vote matters more. Back candidates like me who’ll fight for transparency and integrity.
We’re not just exposing fraud; we’re taking back our future. Minnesota’s losing citizens—47,865 gone since 2019—while vacant storefronts pile up (25–36% office vacancy in downtowns) and businesses beg for customers. The system’s propping up fake numbers to grab federal dollars, but we see through it. Join me, Phillip Parrish, to clean the rolls, stop the scams, and make 2026 the year Minnesota fights back. Who’s with me?
Visit parrish4mn.com to join the movement, donate, or volunteer. Follow me on X for real-time updates. Let’s make Minnesota honest again.
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