Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley screamed at the top of her lungs Wednesday while witnesses accused her of “grandstanding” during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Somali fraud.
Pressley questioned the witnesses, who were all Minnesota state legislators, on whether they approved of President Donald Trump pardoning former Republican New York Rep. George Santos and former Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendant Brian Christopher Mock, who were both convicted on fraud charges. The witnesses accused Pressley of “grandstanding” while she did not focus on the purpose of the hearing.
“Now [Mock] claims he did these things in the name of patriotism, but really, he’s just a criminal. So raise your hand if you oppose Trump’s pardon of this Minnesota individual,” Pressley said to the witnesses.
“Ma’am, this grandstanding nonsense is exactly what Minnesotans hate about D.C.,” Republican Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins replied.
“This is not grandstanding! This is accountability and you are hypocrites! So again, I will take your refusal to not … excuse me! Reclaiming my time! Reclaiming my time!” Pressley said, leading Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace to say she is “off the rails.”
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Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer declared that Pressley’s time had expired, though the congresswoman continued demanding that her time be reclaimed. She then accused the witnesses and some of her colleagues of being “unserious” as they criticized her behavior.
“I’m looking for accountability and you want to run from the hypocrisy from your king and this administration!” Pressley shouted.
Democratic members of the committee attempted to downplay or ignore the fraud in Minnesota despite its widespread attention nationwide. One member of the committee, Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch, spent his four minutes talking about the legacy of former President John F. Kennedy rather than trying to obtain more information about the fraud.
Federal prosecutors have charged 98 defendants in connection with various Minnesota-based social services fraud schemes, with at least 85 of those individuals being of Somali descent. Fifty-seven defendants have been convicted thus far in connection to stealing over $350 million from Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that provided food to lower income children.
YouTuber Nick Shirley exposed ten Somali daycares that appeared to not be operating, despite receiving taxpayer funds. The Quality “Learning” Center, which initially misspelled “Learning,” as “Learing,” received $1.9 million in 2025 and $4 million in total funding from Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Five of the ten daycare centers visited by Shirley operated as meal sites for Feeding Our Future, which received nearly $5 million from the nonprofit between 2018 and 2021.
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid in the 2026 gubernatorial race on Monday while he faced intense scrutiny for his handling of the fraud.
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