MN Dem Senate candidate's viral hijab video takes new turn as woman beside her faces major state investigation

An autism center run by a longtime friend of Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan, who stood next to Flanagan while she wore a hijab defending the Somali community in a viral video, is being investigated for fraud, sparking a flurry of criticism of Flanagan on social media.

The Milestone Development Center, operated by Nimco Ahmed, is being investigated along with the Spectrum Therapy Center, Alpha News first reported, in a move the Minnesota Department of Human Services confirmed to Fox News Digital.

"These agencies are on our radar," a DHS spokesperson said. "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."

"We can, however, share the following: Several months ago, the Minnesota Department of Human Services terminated both agencies from participating in the Medicaid program as part of Minnesota Revalidate 2026. Revalidation is a process to verify that agencies have required credentials and are otherwise compliant with state and federal regulations. Both providers have appealed their termination."

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Ahmed, listed online as the CEO of Milestone, was featured in a video posted on Somali TV that went viral on social media amid the massive fraud scandal, largely involving the local Somali community, where Flanagan wore a hijab and said, "The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota."

Ahmed, born in Somalia, is a longtime Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) activist in Minnesota, and Alpha News reports she has been friends with Flanagan for almost 25 years.

Fox News Digital reached out to Flanagan’s campaign for comment.

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News of the fraud investigation quickly sparked criticism of Flanagan, who has served as the state’s lieutenant governor since 2019 and is often questioned about why more was not done to address the fraud scandal over the past several years.

"Nimco Ahmed, who stood alongside Peggy Flanagan wearing a hijab, runs an autism center that is now under investigation," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. "You can’t make this stuff up. "

" It just never ends," conservative influencer LibsofTikTok posted on X.

"I can’t even keep up anymore," retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro posted on X.

Alpha News reported that former Milestone therapist Grant Morgan worked directly with clients six days a week during his two months there in late 2023 and said he never saw a Qualified Supervising Professional or Board Certified Behavior Analyst overseeing the work, and that many practitioners appeared unqualified and knew little about applied behavior analysis.

He also said he was never asked to write or sign session notes documenting services, despite those notes being central to how providers bill Medicaid.

Morgan described the treatments as ineffective and said Milestone did not provide comprehensive autism services. He also claimed some clients did not appear to be autistic and said he saw potential billing fraud red flags, though he was not involved in billing.

Fox News Digital reached out to Milestone for comment.

Ahmed reportedly told Alpha News’ that questions about care at her center were "bias" and said the outlet pursued the story because she is Somali. She denied that Milestone lacked QSP or BCBA oversight, said all children had autism diagnoses, and maintained that the center follows state requirements and is regularly audited.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report