The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has suspended Medicaid payments to a Somali-run charity following audits that revealed more than $1 million in alleged fraud.
The charity, Gateway Community Services, is accused of overbilling Medicaid for services that were supposed to provide interpretation assistance to Somali migrants between March 2021 and December 2022.
The suspension comes after warnings from Rep. James Comer, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who alerted the U.S. Treasury about suspected welfare fraud involving Gateway. According to reports, the charity’s founder, Abdullahi Ali, has previously faced scrutiny over other financial irregularities.
Additionally, Gateway has ties to several prominent Democrats in Maine, including B.J. McCollister, who served on Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and as chief of staff to Maine Senate President Troy Jackson.
Republican leaders in Maine have criticized the charity for misusing taxpayer funds. Assistant Senate Minority Leader Matt Harrington emphasized that federal intervention was necessary due to the state’s inaction, stating, “This is taxpayer money, and we should be looking into this. I’m relieved that the federal government is finally stepping in.” Harrington has been raising concerns about Gateway since May.
Further investigations revealed that the charity owner had allegedly bragged about financing a militia in Somalia’s Jubaland region, raising serious concerns about the organization’s operations and oversight. The DHHS suspension marks a decisive move to protect public funds while authorities continue to probe Gateway’s activities.
The case has drawn national attention as lawmakers and officials call for stricter monitoring of charitable organizations receiving federal assistance, highlighting the risks of fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
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