Two Democratic Somali politicians who condemned President Donald Trump’s recent “garbage” comments have ties to a Maine organization accused of stealing millions of U.S. tax dollars.
Democratic Maine State Reps. Deqa Dhalac and Yusuf Yusuf have both worked with Gateway Community Services (GCS), according to LinkedIn and Maine’s House Democrats website. A whistleblower accused the organization of stealing millions of dollars from Maine’s Medicaid program.
Dhalac served as GCS’ assistant executive director between May 2022 and March 2023 while serving as a state representative, according to her LinkedIn. (RELATED: Somalis Reportedly Scamming Minnesota Blind — And Allegedly Sending Some Funds To Islamic Terrorists)
Yusuf also “works closely with Gateway Community Services,” according to his government biography.
“When not operating his business, Yusuf works closely with Gateway Community Services and previously served as a member on the Portland Board of Public Education,” his bio states.
Three Somalis serving in the Maine House released a letter last week objecting to Trump calling some Somalians “garbage.”
Two of three are involved w/ a Maine org that is accused of stealing millions in taxpayer $$ through persistent Medicaid fraud a la the Minnesota scandal. pic.twitter.com/BDUOhHHosg
— Amber Duke (@ambermarieduke) December 8, 2025
A whistleblower and self-proclaimed “billing guru” of GCS, Christopher Bernardini, compared the Somali-led health-contractor’s scandal to the fraud allegations against Somali migrants in Minnesota, according to an interview with NewsNation.
Bernardini alleged GCS oversaw a system that manipulated an electronic monitoring system to falsify records regarding client visits, making it appear as if GCS workers had been visiting low-income and disabled clients.
GCS would then charge taxpayers for a service that never took place, Bernardini alleged in the interview. He claimed clients would call and tell him “staff hadn’t shown up and I was told to bill those hours anyway. It just got worse and worse until I started really putting up a stink.”
“I just couldn’t fathom it — I thought we were helping people; I thought this was all on the up-and-up,” Bernardini told NewsNation. “I have a passion for helping people and I thought that we were doing the right thing this whole time.”
Republican State Sen. Matt Harrington called for an investigation when he first heard about the accusations of fraud in May, he told the outlet.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ administration “has neglected obvious and credible reports of Somali-linked systemic fraud in the MaineCare system,” he claimed. “This is an outrageous betrayal of Maine taxpayers.”
Another former GCS employee, who requested anonymity, confirmed Bernardini’s allegations to NewsNation.
“I saw many things happening that shouldn’t have been,” the source told the outlet. “Timecards being manipulated to show services being provided they were not — and times also being manipulated.”
GCS’ CEO, Somali-American Abdullahi Ali, did not respond to requests for comment from NewsNation, but he reportedly posted a X statement in response to media coverage of the allegations.
“I am proud to contribute my hard-earned $ to support my people back home. America is a nation of laws—you cannot change facts by fabricating false stories. I am proud Somali-American,” he said in part, according to a X post limited to certain viewers.
In a Tuesday Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump called Somalia a “garbage” country in reference to a similar taxpayer-fraud case allegedly tied to members of Minnesota’s Somali community.
Trump said Somalians in Minnesota “ripped off that state for billions of dollars, billions, every year,” and asserted they contribute nothing to the state.
“These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, ‘Let’s go. Come on. Let’s make this place great,’” Trump said. “These are people that do nothing but complain. They complain. And from where they came from, they got nothing.”
Somalian Maine State Reps. Mana Abdi, Dhalac and Yusuf responded to the comments Thursday by saying their communities “deserve leaders who will call out dangerous rhetoric, defend democratic principles, and refuse to let fear or dehumanization dictate public policy,” according to a statement.
“An attack on Somali Americans, on TPS holders, or on any immigrant community is an attack on all Americans. Maine is stronger when we stand together, reject dehumanization, and insist on a future rooted in safety, fairness, and shared belonging,” the statement continued.
Dhalac and Yusuf did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment as of publication.
Read the full article here
