“For his liability, four Republican members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation have demanded accountability from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, following reports that companies linked to Dukuly received approximately US$36 million in taxpayer funds while operating group homes for “vulnerable adults,” –the letter.
For the behavior of Sekou Dukuly while in the United States of America, four Minnesota Republican lawmakers had pressed Governor Tim Walz over group homes linked to Dukuly’s supervision.
Dukuly is the managing director of the National Port Authority (NPA). He has been accused of running dubious businesses (Group Homes) in the US, while managing the NPA.
For his liability, four Republican members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation have demanded accountability from Governor Tim Walz.
This follows reports that companies linked to Dukuly received approximately US$36 million in taxpayer funds while operating group homes for “vulnerable adults.”
Representatives Brad Finstad, Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, and Michelle Fischbach, raised their concerns in a Wednesday, September 3, letter that their offices publicly released on Tuesday, September 8.
Dukuly is managing director of Liberia’s government-owned National Port Authority.
An investigation by MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) News, and APM Reports found that Dukuly remained connected to Minnesota group homes even after he relocated to Liberia in 2024.
According to the investigation, Dukuly had a role in businesses that operated at least 24 group homes, primarily in the northwestern Twin Cities (Minnesota) suburbs.
Companies linked to him reportedly received at least US$36 million in public funding during the past decade.
The congressional lawmakers accused the Governor Walz administration of “failing to safeguard public funds, and missing warning signs involving the facilities.”
“The latest allegations involving Golden Touch Health Care represent yet another troubling example,” the lawmakers wrote.
State authorities investigated suspected maltreatment at Dukuly-linked facilities on at least 22 occasions.
Four investigations involved resident deaths, while state investigators substantiated neglect in 10 cases.
A fifth resident reportedly died after being “improperly discharged from one of Dukuly’s facilities.”
The four lawmakers said, the case reflects broader weaknesses in Minnesota’s oversight of Medicaid, housing, childcare, and other publicly funded programs. They also connected the controversy to continuing federal scrutiny of Minnesota’s Medicaid spending.
The letter, however, incorrectly attributes the suspension of Medicaid payments to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Available state reporting shows that the Department of Human Services imposed the payment holds, while the Health Department suspended, and moved to revoke the licenses of three Dukuly-owned Golden Touch facilities.
The Department of Human Services cited: “credible allegations of Medicaid fraud” when suspending payments, but emphasized that a payment hold is not itself a finding that fraud occurred.
The Health Department said, leadership, and funding problems created an imminent risk to residents’ health, and safety.
The lawmakers’ offices characterized the case as alleged fraud, and blamed the Walz administration for responding only after journalists brought the matter to public attention.
Ukuly-owned Golden Touch Health Care has disputed that characterization.
In a statement issued through a Minneapolis law firm, the company described portions of the investigative reporting as “inaccurate, and maintained that there was nothing improper, unlawful, or fraudulent about Dukuly’s involvement with the company.”
No court has found Dukuly, or his Golden Touch guilty of Medicaid fraud, and the lawmakers’ letter does not announce criminal charges.
The congressional release also did not include a response from Governor Walz.
The controversy has attracted attention in both Minnesota, and Liberia, “because it involves taxpayer-funded care for vulnerable Minnesotans, and the head of a major Liberian public institution.”
The four lawmakers have meanwhile, called for greater transparency, stronger oversight, and lasting reforms to prevent public money from being misused.
