Episode Overview

Title: Fraud by Design: From Minnesota Welfare to California Daycares
Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Rob Carson (Newsmax Radio)
Featured Guest: Brigitte Gabriel, ActForAmerica.org
Theme:
This episode uncovers widespread government fraud in welfare and daycare programs, focusing on Minnesota and California as case studies for bureaucratic malfeasance and political corruption. Blending political commentary, humor, and candid interviews, Rob Carson and guests examine how systemic fraud and weak oversight divert billions from public aid programs, implicate government officials, and affect taxpayers. The conversation also pivots to broader themes of national governance, immigration, and the intersection of politics and culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Super Bowl Economics, Taxes, and the NFL's Cultural Moment

• Rob laments the current state of the NFL, saying he is "sick of the organization," citing virtue signaling and costs associated with fandom.
• Super Bowl party costs have risen, with Wells Fargo estimating $140 for 10 people (00:20).
• Overview of high California taxes for athletes, "jock taxes," and the financial burden on Super Bowl players (03:40 – 06:00).

Quote:
"You got to pay a ton of taxes just for playing in California... What did California do for him? D word for Richard. I know, I know. What a joke."
— Rob Carson (05:20)

2. Media Satire & Don Lemon Parody

• Segment poking fun at Don Lemon for self-comparing to civil rights legends at a human rights campaign event.
• Rob and comic Jim Gossett lampoon Lemon's perceived lack of self-awareness.

Quote:
"The only thing you have in common with Rosa Parks is you occasionally like to wear women's clothes."
— Rob Carson (08:02)

Memorable Parody:
(Sung to the tune of "Goldfinger")
"Lemon, Donny Lemon. It’s looking like his future’s really bleak... The DOJ is after him, hard time they’re gonna seek."
— Jim Gossett parody (08:16 – 09:29)

3. Explosive Welfare Fraud: The Minnesota Case Study

A. Findings and Accusations

• FBI has subpoenaed Minneapolis officials, including Governor Tim Walz's staff (11:25).
• MN's legislative auditor found state employees fabricated records, failed to perform site inspections, and covered up fraud involving hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Hosts and guests argue MN's Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party operates as an “organized crime family.”

Notable Testimony:
"This was definitely the most egregious thing I have seen, maybe in my whole time working at OLA."
— Judy Randall, Legislative Auditor (12:35)

B. Overview of TANF Program Abuse

• $30 billion in federal/state funds, originally for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), are routinely misdirected due to vague oversight (13:30+).
• Hayden Dubois (Foundation for Government Accountability) labeled it: “fraud by design”—estimating $6 billion/year misspent.
• High-profile Mississippi case: $77 million diverted to personal/lavish uses.
• Chronic issues in Louisiana, Connecticut, and other states, with repeated audit failures.
• As a result, fewer families are getting help, while bureaucracy swells.

Quote:
"They are looting it. They are looting it."
— Rob Carson (14:50)

4. “Ghost Daycares” & Massive Fraud in California

A. Discovery Process

• Amy Reichardt and Nick Shirley exposed up to 39 kids enrolled in daycares with zero present during site visits.
• Gavin Newsom’s administration responded by limiting public access to records and smearing whistleblowers as “Trump stooges” (16:54-17:45).
• Large-scale involvement of specific refugee-immigrant groups; speculation about Somali and Russian involvement in fraudulent schemes.

Quote:
"The state would come in and inspect these places. There would be up to 39 kids enrolled and zero kids present. In the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, over and over and over."
— Amy Reichardt (16:54)

• Rob asserts, "a gigantic portion of our federal tax dollars is, is fraud. Some are saying 40, maybe 50%."

B. Localized Patterns & Ethnic Networks

• Reichardt: Notes that many of the owners of the fraudulent centers were Somali, a group intentionally resettled in San Diego and Minneapolis (18:23).
• Rob adds, similar issues persist with Russian "hospice" scams in California.

5. Interview with Brigitte Gabriel: Immigration, Fraud & Islam in Politics

A. Reaction to Zoran Mandami's Speech

• Mandami, a Muslim official, cited Islamic teaching on migration.
• Gabriel: "He gave a lecture full of lies," detailing Islamic history. Says early Islam was peaceful only before political/military expansion began (22:11-23:51).

Quote:
"When Muhammad received his revelation...he tried to recruit his own people...failed...decided to go to Medina...That’s when Islam went from being a peaceful religion into a military political ideology cloaked in religion."
— Brigitte Gabriel (22:23)

B. Politics of Resettlement and Fraud

• Somali resettlement in cities like Minneapolis led to high levels of welfare dependency and fraud; Gabriel calls it a cultural carryover:
  "These people are not going to change just because we picked them up from Africa and dumped them in Minnesota. Zebras don't change their stripes." (27:50)

C. Broader Call to Action

• Gabriel pleads for citizens to sign up at actforamerica.org to fight fraud and election corruption.

6. Corruption & Wealth Accumulation Among Politicians

• Extended riff on politicians growing wealthy while in Congress—both left and right.
• References Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, AOC, and even Republican figures.
• Gabriel: “How could AOC go from a bartender six years ago to being a multimillionaire right now? This is not right. The American people deserve better." (32:26)

7. Foreign Policy: Iran and the Ayatollah

• Rob advocates for strong military action against Iran's leadership:
  "I want Donald Trump to pull the trigger. I want surgical strikes. I want the Ayatollah taken out..." (33:50)
• Gabriel predicts U.S.-Israeli action after a looming February 11 deadline, referencing strategic precedent in Venezuela and prior Iranian negotiations (34:11-35:07).

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Rob Carson:

  • "You got to pay a ton of taxes just for playing in California..." (05:20)
  • "They are looting it. They are looting it." (14:50)
  • "A gigantic portion of our federal tax dollars is, is fraud. Some are saying 40, maybe 50%." (17:45)

• Judy Randall (Legislative Auditor):

  • "This was definitely the most egregious thing I have seen, maybe in my whole time working at OLA." (12:35)

• Amy Reichardt:

  • "The state would come in and inspect these places. There would be up to 39 kids enrolled and zero kids present. In the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, over and over and over." (16:54)

• Brigitte Gabriel:

  • "He gave a lecture full of lies...That's when Islam went from being a peaceful religion into a military political ideology cloaked in religion." (22:23)
  • "These people are not going to change just because we picked them up from Africa and dumped them in Minnesota. Zebras don't change their stripes." (27:50)
  • "How could AOC go from a bartender six years ago to being a multimillionaire right now? This is not right." (32:26)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:20–06:00: Super Bowl party economics and California taxes on athletes
• 06:58–09:29: Don Lemon parody segment with Jim Gossett
• 11:25–13:43: Minnesota welfare fraud, legislative audit, and Democratic Party critique
• 13:43–16:54: National TANF fraud discussion, multi-state audit issues
• 16:54–18:55: California “ghost daycare” revelations with Amy Reichardt
• 20:46–25:39: Mandami's Islamic immigration speech and Brigitte Gabriel analysis
• 25:39–32:26: Somali community fraud, political corruption, Act for America advocacy
• 33:50–36:25: U.S. policy on Iran and wish for regime change, with Gabriel's analysis

Summary & Takeaways

• The episode underscores large-scale, systemic fraud within U.S. welfare programs, with direct corruption cited in both Minnesota and California, often enabled by lax oversight and manipulated reporting.
• There is an ongoing flow of billions in taxpayer money siphoned off into slush funds, fraudulent programs, and personal enrichment schemes.
• Host and guests see this as emblematic of rot stemming from one-party control, immigrant resettlement policies, and cronyism.
• Brigitte Gabriel’s intervention broadens the discussion to include the role of foreign-born politicians, Islam in America, fraud, and the need for public advocacy and legislative reform.
• The episode is rich in satire and parody but retains an undercurrent of outrage and calls to accountability, setting fraud in governance as a central 2026 election year issue.

For listeners:
If you want to learn how state and federal welfare fraud goes undetected, why it persists, and what it means for taxpayer money, this episode provides eye-opening examples. It’s delivered in Rob Carson’s trademark style: a mix of irreverent humor, sharp political critique, and rapid-fire interviews, with action-oriented takeaways and memorable commentary throughout.