The woman who stood beside Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a viral hijab video now runs an autism center under active state investigation for fraud, and both have stayed silent about it.
Nimco Ahmed, a longtime Democratic, Farmer, Labor Party activist and CEO of Milestone Development Center, appeared alongside Flanagan during a December visit to the Karmel Somali market in Minnesota. Flanagan donned a hijab for the occasion, and the video, posted by Somali TV Minnesota, spread quickly online. But what the video did not show was what state regulators were already finding behind the scenes at Ahmed's autism services operation.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services confirmed it has open investigations into both Milestone Development Center and Spectrum Therapy Center. The state terminated both agencies from the Medicaid program under a compliance review called Minnesota Revalidate 2026, a process that checks whether providers hold required credentials and follow state and federal rules. Both providers have appealed their terminations.
Ahmed and Flanagan have been friends for nearly 25 years, Fox News Digital reported, citing Alpha News. Ahmed is listed online as CEO of Milestone Development Center. Flanagan, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2019, is now running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat.
A DHS spokesperson laid out the situation plainly:
"The Minnesota Department of Human Services has open investigations into both Spectrum Therapy Center and Milestone Development Centers. If a provider is part of an open investigation, the department cannot by law disclose details."
The spokesperson added that DHS terminated both agencies from Medicaid participation several months ago and that both have appealed. The state described the process as routine revalidation, but the open fraud investigations suggest the problems run deeper than paperwork.
Grant Morgan, a former therapist at Milestone, worked directly with clients six days a week over roughly two months in late 2023. His account, reported by Alpha News, paints a picture of an operation that fell well short of professional standards for autism care.
Morgan told Alpha News he never saw a Qualified Supervising Professional, known as a QSP, or a Board Certified Behavior Analyst overseeing the work at Milestone. A QSP or BCBA provides the clinical supervision required in applied behavior analysis therapy. Without that oversight, the quality and legitimacy of treatment come into serious question.
He said many of the practitioners appeared unqualified and knew little about applied behavior analysis. Morgan reported he was never asked to write or sign session notes, a basic documentation requirement in any legitimate therapy setting. He described the treatments as ineffective and said Milestone did not provide comprehensive autism services. Some clients, he said, did not even appear to be autistic.
Morgan also said he saw what he considered potential billing fraud red flags, though he noted he was not personally involved in billing at the center.
When Alpha News reached out to Ahmed, she reportedly dismissed questions about care at her center as "bias" and said the outlet pursued the story because she is Somali. She denied that Milestone lacked QSP or BCBA oversight, said all children served had autism diagnoses, and maintained the center follows state requirements and undergoes regular audits.
Those denials now sit alongside the DHS confirmation of open investigations and Medicaid termination. If Milestone followed state requirements and passed regular audits, the state's decision to cut the center from the Medicaid program and open a fraud inquiry demands an explanation that Ahmed has not yet provided.
Fox News Digital reached out to both Flanagan's campaign and Milestone for comment. Neither response was noted in the reporting.
Flanagan's hijab visit to the Karmel Somali market drew wide attention online. In the video, the lieutenant governor said:
"The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota."
Conservative commentators quickly connected the video to the unfolding fraud scandal. Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X:
"Nimco Ahmed, who stood alongside Peggy Flanagan wearing a hijab, runs an autism center that is now under investigation. You can't make this stuff up."
The DHS spokesperson acknowledged the broader concern in blunt terms, telling Fox News Digital that the agencies involved "are on our radar."
Flanagan holds one of the highest offices in Minnesota state government. She has served as lieutenant governor for six years. She is now asking voters to send her to Washington. And the woman she chose to stand beside in a public, politically charged video appearance runs an autism center that the state has terminated from Medicaid and is actively investigating for fraud.
The questions that remain unanswered are straightforward. What did Flanagan know about the fraud allegations at Milestone, and when? Has she taken any action in her official capacity regarding fraud in Medicaid-funded autism services in Minnesota? Why has her campaign declined to comment?
DHS says it cannot disclose details of the open investigations by law. The appeals from both Milestone and Spectrum Therapy Center remain pending. The scope and dollar amount of the alleged fraud have not been made public.
Voters deserve answers before they hand anyone a promotion. A candidate who won't explain her ties to a fraud-plagued operation has no business asking for more responsibility.
