Trump on alleged fraud: 'Not gonna pay Illinois'
[January 06, 2026]
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump says the federal government
won’t pay for child care fraud in Illinois.
The president spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday and
discussed fraud allegations against Minnesota day care centers. Trump
said Somali operators have stolen at least $19 billion from Minnesota
and the United States.
“We’re not gonna pay them and we’re not gonna pay California, and we’re
not gonna pay Illinois with that big slob of a governor that they have,”
Trump said.
The federal government appropriated more than $412 million to Illinois
for child care programs in 2025.
The president blasted Minnesota Gov. and former vice presidential
candidate Tim Walz.
“This very stupid, low IQ governor, he’s a very stupid man because, you
know I had to campaign against him with [Vice President J.D. Vance],
he’s a stupid man and he’s a corrupt politician,” Trump said.
Hours after the president made the remarks, Walz announced he was ending
his bid for reelection as Minnesota governor.
In a social media post Monday morning, Walz said an organized group of
criminals sought to take advantage of his state’s generosity.
“And even as we make progress in the fight against the fraudsters, we
now see an organized group of political actors seeking to take advantage
of the crisis,” Walz posted.
The Minnesota governor said Trump and his allies want to make the state
“a colder, meaner place.”
Trump reacted to Walz’s news with a social media post of his own.
“Governor Walz has destroyed the State of Minnesota, but others, like
Governor Gavin Newscum, JB Pritzker, and Kathy Hochul, have done, in my
opinion, an even more dishonest and incompetent job. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE
LAW!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
In addition to lobbing insults at Democratic governors, Trump said
Pritzker wanted the National Guard to leave Illinois despite a recent
day of violence.
“Seventeen murders and 77 people shot, but 17 died, and then he talks
about, ‘Oh, we can handle it.’ He can’t handle it,” Trump asserted.
After announcing last week that he was pulling the National Guard out of
Chicago, the president promised Sunday that troops would return.
“We pulled back, and we’ll go in at the appropriate time. We’re the ones
that brought the crime down. We brought it down 20%. They didn’t bring
it down. Pritzker didn’t bring it down,” Trump said.
The president’s remarks came as the Illinois governor is expected to
face questions about child care funding and potential fraud allegations
in the Land of Lincoln.
The federal government appropriated more than $412 million to Illinois
for child care programs in 2025, far more than Minnesota’s nearly $185
million.
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The Illinois state budget for fiscal year 2026 includes $2 billion
for Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), an increase from
$1,789,399,000 in fiscal year 2025. This year’s budget also
allocates $777,099,000 for Child Care Services.
According to the Illinois Child Care Program Report, CCAP served
198,095 children in fiscal year 2024.
The report documented 26,915 providers that year, 6,979 of which
were licensed and categorized as child care centers, family child
care homes or group child care homes. The other 18,980 providers
were license-exempt centers and homes.
According to the Illinois Department Human Services’ administrative
code, the agency “will recover overpayments from providers or
parents and other relatives, as appropriate, through demand letters,
referrals to the Comptroller's Office for withholding, referrals to
collection agencies, reductions in future payments or public
assistance benefits, or other means determined by the Department to
be effective.”
The overpayments could include intentional program violations and
fraud, but the consequences of such violations remain unclear.
"Families who are receiving (Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families) TANF (and their child care providers) and have child care
listed as a required activity on their Responsibility and Service
Plan are exempted from suspension or termination,” DHS states.
Several Illinois cases have drawn attention from federal authorities
in recent years.
In April 2024, the owner of Chicago-area child care centers was
sentenced to four years in federal prison for scheming to
fraudulently obtain more than $3.3 million in state of Illinois
subsidies designed to help low-income families afford child care.
Aleesha McDowell, 44, of Mokena owned child care centers in Calumet
City, Calumet Park and Chicago. In addition to the prison sentence,
U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah ordered McDowell to pay
$3,339,563 of restitution.
In August 2023, a former Illinois Department of Children and Family
Services social worker and 14 others were indicted on federal
charges for allegedly participating in a scheme to fraudulently
obtain $3.2 million in state funds intended for childcare services.
The 41-count indictment alleged that Shauntele Y. Pridgeon, 54,
orchestrated the fraud scheme from 2016 to 2022 while serving as a
Community Social Service Planner for DCFS in Chicago.
According to the indictment, Pridgeon directed at least $3.2 million
in state of Illinois funds to the co-defendants and others, each of
whom agreed to receive the money even though they knew that no
foster children were actually in their care.
Child care fraud can be reported on the Illinois Department of Human
Services website or by phone. If you suspect the recipient of
Medicaid, TANF, or child care benefits is committing fraud, call
1-844-453-7283/1-844-ILFRAUD.
Greg Bishop contributed to this report. |
