❓WHAT HAPPENED: A nonprofit executive in Maine, Abdullahi Ali, is accused of Medicaid fraud, with his family allegedly placing a bounty on a journalist in Somalia who shared reporting on the allegations.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Abdullahi Ali, Gateway Community Services, whistleblower Christopher Bernardini, Governor Janet Mills (D), and Maine state Senator Matt Harrington (R).
📍WHEN & WHERE: Maine, December 2025, with related incidents in Somalia.
💬KEY QUOTE: “You can’t rob a bank for millions of dollars. You shouldn’t be able to rob taxpayers of millions of dollars and get away with it. There absolutely needs to be a criminal investigation into this immediately.” – Matt Harrington
🎯IMPACT: The allegations highlight concerns over the misuse of taxpayer funds in the Somali community, and raise questions about oversight in Maine’s Medicaid and welfare systems.
Abdullahi Ali, executive director of Gateway Community Services in Maine, is facing allegations that his nonprofit defrauded taxpayers through Maine’s Medicaid program and the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Whistleblower Christopher Bernardini has alleged that Gateway submitted false documentation for services that were never delivered, resulting in reimbursements from state and federal funds.
During the period he was overseeing Gateway, Ali was also reportedly campaigning to become president of Jubbaland, a semi-autonomous region in Somalia. Reports say Ali claimed he raised money for the Jubaland Somali army to purchase weapons, drawing scrutiny over potential foreign political and military involvement while managing a U.S.-funded nonprofit.
The controversy intensified after Steve Robinson of The Maine Wire reported that Ali had threatened a journalist in Somalia who had shared reporting on the allegations. Robinson said Ali’s family members, including his son and a cousin, have allegedly placed a bounty on the journalist’s head. Robinson has publicly questioned why Governor Janet Mills (D) continues to direct public funding to Gateway Community Services despite the claims.
Gateway Community Services has denied wrongdoing and characterized the accusations as racist. Bernardini and other former employees have provided detailed accounts alleging systematic fraud within the organization. Maine Republican state Senator Matt Harrington has called for immediate criminal investigations, saying the alleged misuse of taxpayer money highlights serious failures in oversight and accountability.
“You can’t rob a bank for millions of dollars. You shouldn’t be able to rob taxpayers of millions of dollars and get away with it. There absolutely needs to be a criminal investigation into this immediately,” Harrington stated.
The Maine case has been compared to major Medicaid and welfare fraud prosecutions in Minnesota, where federal authorities have charged suspects tied to nonprofit and social services networks with submitting fraudulent claims for services that were never provided. In one recent Minnesota case, a Somali-linked defendant pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars from Medicaid and food assistance programs. Federal prosecutors have said those schemes were part of a broader network “that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money.”
Federal estimates suggest that Somali-linked welfare fraud in Minnesota could reach as high as $9 billion, spanning programs related to food aid, housing, and healthcare. Critics argue that lax enforcement and political concerns about appearing discriminatory allowed the schemes to continue for years.
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