Democrat Graham Platner Marched with Somali Activist Tied to Nonprofit Accused of Fraud To Show ‘Solidarity’ With Minnesota’s Scandal-Plagued Somali Community
Tiny Maine’s relatively large Somali community is also coming under scrutiny for Minnesota-style fraud
Chuck Ross
January 6, 2026
Controversial Senate candidate Graham Platner (D., Maine), hoisting a "Solidarity" sign and protest fist, marched with Maine Somalis last month to show support for Minnesota’s Somali community, which has been implicated in a staggering fraud scandal. Ironically, one of Platner’s comrades at the event, Safiya Khalid, served as a top official at a Maine nonprofit under investigation for defrauding the state out of millions of dollars in health care payments.
Platner, who is running in a hotly contested primary race for the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R.), was the marquee headliner of a Dec. 13 event in Lewiston organized by Khalid, 30, a headscarf-wearing, Somali-born former leader at Gateway Community Services Maine. Platner—a self-described communist who once sported a neo-Nazi tattoo and is under fire for offensive online comments he made about black and gay people—marched alongside Khalid and spoke at a rally of Somali-American residents, labor leaders, and political activists.
"Safiya, thank you. All of us would not be here without your organizing skills," said Platner. "We are in your debt."
For a small state, Maine has a large Somali population of up to 10,000 people. "Mainers know that the Somali community is part of the state of Maine," said Platner, who accused President Donald Trump and Republicans of disparaging the state’s sizable Somali community.
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/democrat-graham-platner-marched-with-somali-activist-tied-to-nonprofit-accused-of-fraud-to-show-solidarity-with-minnesotas-scandal-plagued-somali-community/