A Minnesota Democrat whose taxpayer-funded daycare has come under scrutiny over millions of dollars in government payments has won a seat in the state Legislature, despite questions surrounding his business’s connection to a nonprofit implicated in a major fraud scandal.
Abdi Daisane, a Democrat from St. Cloud, defeated Republican incumbent Bernie Perryman in Minnesota’s House District 14A on Tuesday, becoming the first Somali-born state lawmaker elected from the city.
But Daisane’s victory comes as his childcare business faces questions over its government funding and its relationship with an organization accused of defrauding taxpayers.
Daisane is the CEO of Blooming Kids Child Care Center, a St. Cloud facility that has received more than $7.29 million through Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program since 2018, according to records reviewed by Alpha News.
The business also received approximately $598,251 through the federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program beginning in 2020.
Those payments were administered through Partners in Nutrition, a nonprofit that became the subject of a major investigation into the misuse of federal child nutrition funds.
In September, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced an $18.5 million civil settlement involving Partners in Nutrition after state investigators accused the organization of submitting fraudulent reimbursement claims.
According to the attorney general’s office, the organization “knowingly defrauded the State of Minnesota out of millions of dollars in federal child nutrition funds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, in violation of the Minnesota False Claims Act.”
🚨 UPDATE: Somali “daycare owner” Abdi Daisane (D) has just been elected to the state Minnesota House — and is wife has BRAGGED about ILLEGALLY INVADING our country
Daisane’s St. Cloud “daycare,” Blooming Kids, has been cited for 16 state violations since July 2024 ‼️
“I smuggled myself and jumped over the wall for my love.” — Ayaan Aidid
And other Somalis did it with her.
MINNESOTA IS SO FREAKING COOKED.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 4, 2026
The settlement requires the nonprofit to surrender its remaining assets and dissolve.
State investigators alleged that Partners in Nutrition submitted claims for meals that were never served while failing to properly oversee participating food distribution locations.
Although Blooming Kids received funding through the organization, the daycare was not named as a defendant in the settlement, and the reporting does not establish that Daisane personally participated in fraud.
Nevertheless, the financial connections have fueled questions about oversight of Minnesota’s taxpayer-funded childcare programs.
An investigation published by Alpha News in October highlighted the millions of dollars paid to Daisane’s facility and interviewed a former employee of a neighboring business.
The worker reportedly did not recall seeing children regularly entering or leaving Blooming Kids, although the individual acknowledged that the facility had another entrance outside their view.
State licensing records also revealed numerous violations involving the childcare center, including concerns about cleanliness, potentially hazardous objects and inadequate supervision.
Those violations raise separate questions about the facility’s operations, although they do not independently establish financial misconduct.
Fox News Digital visited the daycare Thursday and described a quiet scene outside the building.
The facility’s street-facing entrance displayed a paper notice directing visitors elsewhere, while tinted windows limited visibility inside.
A small fenced playground was located behind the building, and the adjacent parking area was mostly empty during the visit.
The observations came as Minnesota continues confronting broader allegations of fraud involving public assistance and federally funded nutrition programs.
State and federal investigators have pursued multiple cases involving organizations accused of exploiting programs intended to provide meals and assistance to children.
Despite those controversies, Daisane secured enough support to defeat Perryman and flip the Republican-held legislative district.
His victory quickly drew criticism from conservative commentators who questioned the state’s handling of taxpayer-funded programs.
“We are a lost state,” Red Ax Strategies President Matt Brodsky wrote on X. “We should cede it to Canada.”
Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty issued an equally pointed reaction.
“MINNESOTA IS SO FREAKING COOKED,” he posted.
Conservative personality Gunther Eagleman also weighed in on the election result.
“Minnesota is done,” he wrote.
The controversy has extended beyond the daycare’s financial records, with questions circulating online about the immigration history of Daisane’s wife, Ayaan Aydid.
Those claims have not established any wrongdoing by Daisane or his wife and are separate from the questions surrounding the childcare center.
ACT for America founder Bridgette Gabriel called attention to the immigration allegations in a social media post directed at the Department of Homeland Security.
Daisane did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the scrutiny of his business.
His election comes as Minnesota officials continue examining potential fraud involving publicly funded programs, including organizations associated with Partners in Nutrition.
The attorney general’s office has indicated that its investigation extends beyond the nonprofit itself and that participating operators and vendors are not automatically shielded from potential civil liability.
There has been no publicly established finding that Daisane or Blooming Kids committed fraud.
Still, the newly elected Democrat will enter the Minnesota Legislature while questions remain about the millions in government payments received by his business and the state’s oversight of childcare funding.
According to reported records, Blooming Kids received more than $7.8 million in combined childcare and nutrition program funding, while its former food-program sponsor became the subject of an $18.5 million fraud settlement.
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