As Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison prepare to testify before Congress Wednesday on fraud and the misuse of federal funds in Minnesota, they are expected to face questions about what the state knew, when it knew it, and why enforcement appeared to arrive late — if at all.
This comes as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans say multiple investigations are now underway into how billions in public dollars were distributed across Minnesota with limited oversight. Viral footage from independent journalist Nick Shirley showing seemingly vacant facilities has amplified those concerns, echoing what Alpha News reporters have documented firsthand at multiple taxpayer-funded sites.
‘You guys are weird … you need a better job’
One of the locations Alpha News visited after receiving multiple tips was a Saint Anthony adult day care center operating as Second Home Adult Day Center.
Tipsters told Alpha News the facility routinely appeared inactive — a claim reporters checked for themselves.
When Alpha News reporters Liz Collin and Jenna Gloeb visited the site in December during normal business hours, the facility appeared empty.
When reporters attempted to ask basic questions about services and availability, a man who answered the door appeared evasive. He ultimately told the reporters to leave, saying: “You guys are weird … you need a better job.”
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Second Home Adult Day Center has been cited multiple times by regulators for repeated record-keeping and care violations — even as it received at least $280,000 in taxpayer funds, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), which has paused all new adult day care licenses for two years in order to “safeguard the integrity” of the program.
According to a June 30, 2025, correction order issued by DHS, Second Home Adult Day Center failed to properly document attendance, maintain required participant records, and complete mandatory abuse-prevention plan reviews. State regulators flagged three of the deficiencies as repeat violations.
Inspectors found the center did not keep attendance records showing when participants were dropped off or picked up.
“The license holder failed to maintain documentation of actual attendance for each adult day service recipient for which the license holder was reimbursed by a governmental program,” the correction order states.
State regulators noted the same attendance violation had already been cited in a Feb. 27, 2025, correction order — a sign that the issue had not been corrected despite prior enforcement.
The February order also found that the center failed to maintain documentation that a dietician “met any licensure, registration, or certification requirements required to perform services,” and failed to include an “employment application or resume” in staff files “indicating that the employee meets the requirements” of state rules.
Provider terminated, operator tied to prior closed facility
Newly reviewed state records show Second Home Adult Day Center was administratively terminated on Jan. 21, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website, where the center is now listed as “inactive.”
The facility was registered under Heaylan Ali Omer, who previously operated Desirous Adult Foster Care in Brooklyn Park. State records show Desirous Adult Foster Care closed on Dec. 31, 2025.
The address Omer listed for Desirous Adult Foster Care is the same address used for Second Home’s registration with the Secretary of State — a Brooklyn Park home valued at approximately $700,000, according to public property records.
The lack of visible activity at Second Home parallels what Alpha News has documented at other taxpayer-funded facilities, including Fountain Autism Center and Bashi Adult Daycare.
A Burnsville business owner who first alerted Alpha News to potential irregularities at those locations said activity appeared to briefly increase following media scrutiny — only to fade again.
“When you guys were putting the pressure on, they had a little more traffic,” he said. “But I think it’s subdued quite a bit.”
The business owner said he regularly monitors the nearby properties through exterior security cameras and routine drive-bys. He also said he noticed additional red flags earlier this winter.
“One time when it snowed and they didn’t plow for a few days. Which is odd,” he said.
He also raised concerns about what he described as blackout coverings on the windows — a setup he said made little sense for an operating care facility.
“What they do, they black out or they put something on all their windows, so you can’t see inside,” he said.
To him, the layout and lack of visibility didn’t align with how he understood legitimate centers to typically function.
“I would think old people, if they were cooped up in a adult daycare, they’d want to see — windows are an amenity in my business. People like windows. They like to see outside,” he said.
The business owner questioned why state regulators appear slow to act when warning signs seem visible.
“If I was paying a crew of 10 guys to do work at one of my job sites, and someone told me I was by the job site today and no one’s there, I can damn sure tell you I’d be out there,” he said. “I’m paying money. Where are these guys?”
He added, “The state keeps saying it’s complicated to track. It isn’t complicated to track. It is not.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
