The woman who stood beside Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan during a viral video where Flanagan donned a hijab defending the Somali community now faces a major state investigation into Medicaid fraud.
Nimco Ahmed, CEO of Milestone Development Centers and a 25-year friend of Flanagan, is under investigation by Minnesota’s Department of Human Services along with her autism therapy center. The Minnesota DHS confirmed both Milestone and another center, Spectrum Therapy Center, face open fraud investigations.
“These agencies are on our radar. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has open investigations into both Spectrum Therapy Center and Milestone Development Centers.”
The department terminated both agencies from the Medicaid program several months ago as part of Minnesota Revalidate 2026, a process to verify agencies have required credentials and comply with state and federal regulations. Both providers have appealed their termination.
Ahmed appeared in the viral video posted on Somali TV where Flanagan wore a hijab and declared, “The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota.” The video sparked fierce backlash amid Minnesota’s sprawling fraud scandal, which has largely involved the local Somali community.
Ahmed, born in Somalia, is a longtime Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party activist and has been friends with Flanagan for almost 25 years, according to Alpha News, which first reported the investigation.
Flanagan has served as Minnesota’s lieutenant governor since 2019 and faces mounting scrutiny over why more wasn’t done to address the fraud scandal during her tenure.
“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.
Retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro posted, “I can’t even keep up anymore.”
A former Milestone therapist told Alpha News he witnessed serious red flags during his two months at the center in late 2023. Grant Morgan said he worked directly with clients six days a week but never saw a Qualified Supervising Professional or Board Certified Behavior Analyst overseeing the work—both required for autism therapy centers.
Morgan said many practitioners appeared unqualified and knew little about applied behavior analysis. He was never asked to write or sign session notes documenting services, despite those notes being central to how providers bill Medicaid.
He described the treatments as ineffective and said Milestone did not provide comprehensive autism services. Morgan 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.
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 proper oversight, said all children had autism diagnoses, and maintained that the center follows state requirements and is regularly audited.
Fox News Digital reached out to Flanagan’s campaign and Milestone Development Centers for comment.
🚨 BREAKING: 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. pic.twitter.com/BhQ0PtqyuQ
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) September 18, 2026
So Peggy Flanagan, the MN Dem Senate nominee, has a good friend who apparently has an autism center that’s under investigation for fraud
You will never guess his name…
Nimco Ahmed.
It just never ends https://t.co/kEfoGGsCgh
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 18, 2026
