Seattle’s new mayor has no plans to look into possible local daycare fraud

By Brett Davis
The Center Square

It seems new Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has no plans in her capacity as such to investigate allegations of local daycare fraud.

When asked by KOMO News on Wednesday whether she intended to have the Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs or the Seattle Police Department follow up on looking into possible daycare fraud in Seattle, she said, “No.”

In a post on X on New Year’s Day – a day before she was inaugurated and sworn in – Wilson wrote, “I stand with the Somali childcare providers who have experienced targeted harassment, and condemn the surveillance campaign promoted by extremist influencers. If you believe yourself to be the victim of a hate crime, please call this hotline: https://atg.wa.gov/report-hate”

In late December, YouTuber and self-described independent journalist Nick Shirley released a video alleging widespread child care fraud in Minnesota, some involving Somali providers. The video garnered significant media traction and caught the attention of the Trump administration, prompting the Department of Health and Human Services to freeze roughly $185 million in federal child care funding in the state.

The video and subsequent political fallout – including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropping his reelection bid – have spread to other states, such as Washington, where The Center Square had been investigating possible child care fraud.

In early December, Walz was the guest of honor at a Seattle fundraising luncheon for Gov. Bob Ferguson, telling those in attendance that Somalis were being “demonized” and vowing to bring more into his state.

The Center Square reached out to Wilson’s office seeking comment on her remarks about not investigating possible local daycare fraud. There was no response to an email inquiry or a voicemail that was left.

Washington State Republican Party Chair and state Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, had no qualms about sharing his take on Wilson’s comments.

In a Thursday post on X, Walsh said, “She’s stupid. But she’s more honest than the current WA State Attorney General.”

That same day, U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, calling on them to conduct a program‑integrity review of federally funded benefits in Washington state.

“Washington families deserve to know their tax dollars are paying for real meals and real care, not padding the pockets of scammers,” according to the letter. “Minnesota is a cautionary tale for every state: when state authorities fast track welfare payments with weak front‑end controls and lax enforcement, fraudsters will pounce. My goal is simple: get independent confirmation that Washington’s safeguards are working, and if they are not, fix the problems now rather than after a headline‑grabbing scandal.”