{"id":2531282,"date":"2026-01-08T05:19:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T10:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/head-of-taxpayer-funded-somali-charity-cutting-checks-to-family\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T05:22:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T10:22:27","slug":"head-of-taxpayer-funded-somali-charity-cutting-checks-to-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/head-of-taxpayer-funded-somali-charity-cutting-checks-to-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Head of taxpayer-funded Somali charity cutting checks to family"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhead-of-taxpayer-funded-somali-charity-cutting-checks-to-family%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2531282&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Muhidin Libah, executive director of the Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine, paid more than $100,000 from the nonprofit to family members in 2023-2024, according to tax filings. In 2023 the group&#8217;s filings show Libah paid his wife, Fadumo Libah, $21,551 for &#8220;various business transactions&#8221; and paid Hawa Dakane $38,559 as a &#8220;Women&#8217;s Community Advocate,&#8221; while the charity received about $180,245 in government funding. In 2024 those two family members received roughly $42,000 combined as the organization took in about $444,220 in public funds.The nonprofit, which runs programs including &#8220;liberation farms&#8221; and client navigation services serving more than 2,500 people annually, has come under scrutiny after a local report said it routed some donations collected after the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting to its bank account; a steering committee that included Libah directed more than $65,000 to the group from remaining community foundation funds. The coverage notes broader recent fraud investigations involving Somali communities in other states and cites ProPublica tax documents; the Somali Bantu Community Association did not respond to requests for comment.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Head of taxpayer-funded Somali charity cutting checks to family members<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2459745\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Somali Bantu Community Association of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\">Maine<\/a> Executive Director Muhidin Libah paid out over $100,000 from the charity he runs to members of his family between 2023 and 2024, tax filings show.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, Muhdin Libah paid his wife, Fadumo Libah, $21,551 for &ldquo;various business transactions&rdquo; and another family member, Hawa Dakane, $38,559 for work as a &ldquo;Women&rsquo;s Community Advocate,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/270641210\/202403199349311665\/IRS990ScheduleL\">according <\/a>to tax documents. The Somali Bantu Community Association <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/270641210\/202403199349311665\/full\">accepted <\/a>$180,245 in government funding that year. 2024 brought <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/270641210\/202503189349309995\/IRS990ScheduleL\">more of the same<\/a>, with Fadumo Libah and Dakane bringing in roughly $42,000 from the charity while it <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/270641210\/202503189349309995\/full\">received <\/a>$444,220 in public funds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4410064\/house-report-activist-not-help-fire-relief-efforts\/\">House report suggests activist groups did not help fire relief efforts. They say otherwise&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4409757\/palisades-fire-report-edited-by-la-mayor-to-soften-criticism-of-city-response\/\">Official Palisades fire report edited by LA mayor to soften criticism of city&#8217;s response to crisis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4408061\/who-funds-groups-protesting-america-capture-maduro\/\">Here&rsquo;s who funds the groups protesting America&rsquo;s capture of Maduro<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Allegations of fraud have swept the Somali community in recent months, particularly in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\">Minnesota<\/a>, which is home to a large population of Somali <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/immigration\/\">immigrants<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In May, a federal jury <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-mn\/pr\/federal-jury-finds-feeding-our-future-mastermind-and-co-defendant-guilty-250-million\">convicted <\/a>the &ldquo;mastermind&rdquo; of the Feeding Our Future scandal, a $250 million fraud scheme involving Minnesota&rsquo;s Somali community, of wire fraud and bribery. Her conviction followed dozens of Somali individuals <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sahanjournal.com\/public-safety\/feeding-our-future-food-aid-fraud-investigation-guilty-pleas\/\">pleading guilty<\/a> to or <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sahanjournal.com\/public-safety\/who-has-been-sentenced-feeding-our-future\/\">being convicted<\/a> of similar charges related to the scheme, which involved fraudsters billing the government for serving thousands of fictitious meals to children who did not exist.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, federal authorities have <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-mn\/pr\/first-defendant-charged-autism-fraud-scheme-0\">charged <\/a>members of Minnesota&rsquo;s Somali community with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-mn\/pr\/six-additional-defendants-charged-one-defendant-pleads-guilty-ongoing-fraud-schemes\">falsifying autism diagnoses<\/a> to fraudulently claim state funding. The community is also facing accusations of fraud related to its taxpayer-funded day cares, though no charges have yet been filed related to those allegations. <\/p>\n<p>The scrutiny of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/victor-davis-hanson-consequences-await-tim-walz-after-somali-fraud-scandal\/\" title=\"Victor Davis Hanson: Consequences Await Tim Walz After Somali ... Scandal\">social services fraud<\/a> in the Somali community has spread to multiple states and types of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-age-appropriate-library-restrictions-are-not-book-bans\/\" title=\"No, Age-Appropriate Library Restrictions Are Not \u2018Book Bans\u2019\">taxpayer-funded entities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As a &ldquo;central pillar&rdquo; of its work, the Somali Bantu Community Association <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/somalibantumaine.org\/services-programs\/\">provides<\/a> members of the Somali community in Maine with access to traditional crops and meat through its &ldquo;liberation farms&rdquo; program. Additionally, it helps local Somali migrants by granting them access to small plots of farmland to grow produce for either personal consumption or sale.<\/p>\n<p>Another of the organization&rsquo;s central pillars involves its client navigation services, wherein it assists members of the Somali community in obtaining food stamps, child care licensing, Social Security benefits, housing assistance, public healthcare, and unemployment payments. It also assists in tax preparation and visa applications. The nonprofit organization serves over 2,500 people annually, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/somalibantumaine.org\/services-programs\/client-navigation-services\/\">according <\/a>to its website.<\/p>\n<p>The Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine and Muhidin Libah have attracted scrutiny in recent weeks following a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themainewire.com\/2025\/12\/maine-foundation-let-steering-committee-steer-lewiston-shooting-donations-to-their-own-ngos\/\">report <\/a>from the <em>Maine Wire<\/em>, a local conservative news operation, alleging that the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >nonprofit group routed funds intended<\/a> to aid victims of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mass-shootings\/\">mass shooting<\/a> into its bank account.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) speaks during a news conference in the aftermath of a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Maine Community Foundation, in an effort promoted by Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/janet-mills\/\">Janet Mills<\/a> (D-ME), collected funds to aid community recovery following the 2023 Lewiston shootings, which claimed 18 lives. Of the $6.6 million raised, $4.3 million was distributed to victims and their families. The remaining funds were given to a steering committee, which included Muhidin Libah, for distribution. He and the committee ultimately gave more than $65,000 to his organization.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3351774\/politically-connected-somali-nonprofit-taxpayer-dollars-mishandling-millions\/\"><strong>POLITICALLY CONNECTED SOMALI NONPROFIT GROUP PULLED IN TAXPAYER DOLLARS AFTER MISHANDLING MILLIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mainepublic.org\/maine\/2023-11-08\/heres-how-the-18-victims-of-the-lewiston-mass-shooting-are-remembered\">None<\/a> of the individuals killed during the shooting were of Somali descent. The Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine later justified receiving the funds by issuing a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheMaineWire\/posts\/the-text-below-provides-the-official-explanation-for-why-the-somali-bantu-associ\/1345565500919594\/\">statement <\/a>saying that it used the money to &ldquo;reestablish a sense of safety for migrants and refugees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maine Somali charity chief allegedly paid kin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":2531283,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2249321702.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[52975,70375,70374,48029,16697],"class_list":["post-2531282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-charity-scandal","tag-corruption-allegations","tag-misuse-of-public-funds","tag-nepotism","tag-somalia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2249321702.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2531282"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2531286,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531282\/revisions\/2531286"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2531283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2531282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2531282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2531282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}