Maine’s Medicaid system has been hit with a bombshell fraud claim, with a whistleblower alleging that a Portland-based contractor siphoned off millions in taxpayer dollars while its CEO was running for political office in his native Somalia.
The outfit at the center of the storm, Gateway Community Services, is now being compared to the $1 billion Minnesota welfare meltdown that’s already led to criminal charges against dozens tied to that state’s Somali diaspora.
Christopher Bernardini, a former program coordinator at Gateway, says the whole operation was a sham. The company, he claims, billed for services never provided and fabricated documentation to keep the cash flowing.
“I just couldn’t fathom it — I thought we were helping people; I thought this was all on the up-and-up,” Bernardini told NewsNation, saying he’s since fled to Florida.
“I have a passion for helping people, and I thought that we were doing the right thing this whole time.”
From The New York Post:
Gateway was contracted with Maine’s Medicaid service, known as MaineCare, to assist elderly, disabled and low-income residents. On its website, the organization claims to offer programs that “help people navigate care, understand insurance and safety net programs, and access essentials like housing and food.
“The team also provides workforce support, helping individuals identify employment opportunities, training, and certifications to build skills for stability and long-term wellbeing.”
In fact, Bernardini claims, Gateway falsified a monitoring system meant to track movements of field staff to make it seem like they were visiting clients, whether that was the case or not.
“I had clients calling me to tell me their staff hadn’t shown up and I was told to bill those hours [to MaineCare] anyway,” the whistleblower claimed. “It just got worse and worse until I started really putting up a stink.”
A second scandal with familiar fingerprints — and Maine taxpayers on the hook
Full report over at The New York Post:
Maine’s Medicaid program bilked out of millions of dollars in Somali fraud, whistleblower claims https://t.co/IZHpBjzHHG pic.twitter.com/aeVvgurzOE
— New York Post (@nypost) December 10, 2025
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