By The American Tribune | Created at 2026-08-12 10:32:06 | Updated at 2026-08-12 12:11:21
1 hour ago
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio said she was “almost brought to tears” after Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) asked whether Somali immigration had been good for Ohio during a heated congressional hearing on alleged Medicaid fraud. Antonio initially called the question “outside of my purview,” prompting Gill to remind her, “You are a state Senator.” The exchange quickly descended into chaos as Antonio accused lawmakers of using “hateful rhetoric.”
The confrontation occurred during the June 3rd hearing of the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, which Gill chairs. The hearing examined alleged fraud involving Ohio’s Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waiver program. Investigative reporter Luke Rosiak testified alongside Ohio officials, including Antonio.
Before questioning Antonio, Gill asked Rosiak about companies and individuals he had examined while investigating suspected Medicaid fraud. Gill asked how many of those identified by Rosiak had Somali, Bhutanese, or other African-origin names. “One hundred percent,” Rosiak replied, adding that he had reviewed “the names of hundreds of companies” and investigated roughly 50 more deeply.
The broader allegations have become a major issue in Ohio. The $1.2 billion estimate cited during the hearing has not yet been confirmed by law enforcement, although Governor Mike DeWine imposed a six-month moratorium in May on new home-health providers receiving Medicaid funds. Ohio Auditor Keith Faber also testified about the state’s existing efforts to combat Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse.
Gill then asked Rosiak whether his investigation had uncovered connections between suspected fraud in Ohio and previously investigated fraud in Minnesota. “Yes, it is the same people. They all have relatives in both places, and they move back and forth,” Rosiak testified. Gill followed up by asking whether Rosiak was alleging “a large interstate criminal enterprise of Somali fraudsters” operating in multiple states and potentially defrauding the government of billions of dollars. “Correct,” Rosiak answered.
Rosiak went on to estimate that “thousands of people” were involved and alleged similar Medicaid abuses involving members of Ohio’s Bhutanese community. Gill summarized Rosiak’s testimony by saying there was “a network of foreigners running criminal fraud rings” across multiple states before abruptly turning his attention to Antonio.
Watch the exchange here:
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“Senator Antonio, thank you for being here. Has Somali immigration been good for Ohio?” Gill asked. Antonio replied, “You know, that is really outside of my purview,” before Gill interrupted: “You are a state Senator.” He then asked whether she wanted to see more immigration from Somalia.
Antonio responded, “I am processing your question, and I am—I have to say that I was almost brought to tears just now.” Gill interjected that “72 percent of Somali immigrants are on welfare” and accused fraudsters of taking money from Ohio taxpayers. Antonio fired back that “the rate and the level of hateful rhetoric” and the “lack of even humanity” were “shocking” to her.
As Gill argued that it was “inhumane” to allow the state to be defrauded, Antonio continued objecting to talking about Somalis as a group, saying, “In every—in every community, there are good people and there are bad people.” The exchange ended after another Democrat called for “regular order” and Gill announced that his questioning time had expired, while Antonio repeated, “I am shocked and appalled.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.
