Secretary of state race sharpens as Strbich warns of fraud, Russo blasts GOP over SNAP benefits
The race for Ohio secretary of state is beginning to take shape amid intensifying debate over public benefits, fraud, and government oversight.
On Dec. 28, Republican candidate Marcell Strbich, a retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, criticized Ohio representatives born outside of the U.S. and Ohio Republicans in his post on X.
“Massive health, day care & FOOD BENEFIT fraud revealed in MN, why do we have 2 Democrat, non-US born, elected representatives of Somali-origin in Columbus attacking Ohio Republicans & Pres. Trump over SNAP?” he wrote. “Why aren’t elected Republicans in OH speaking up? Is OH being defrauded?”
Massive health, day care & FOOD BENEFIT fraud revealed in MN, why do we have 2 Democrat, non-US born, elected representatives of Somali-origin in Columbus attacking Ohio Republicans & Pres. Trump over SNAP? Why aren’t elected Republicans in OH speaking up? Is OH being defrauded? pic.twitter.com/sHnNl4C77d
— Marcell Strbich (@marcellstrbich) December 28, 2025
Strbich referred to state Reps. Ismail Mohamed, D-Columbus, and Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus, who criticized Ohio Republicans for allegedly failing to help millions of Buckeye State residents who were losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
“SNAP benefits are a lifeline for many millions of Ohioans. As someone who grew up receiving SNAP, I understand how essential it is for families who are doing everything right, working full-time jobs, caring for their children, and still struggling to make ends meet,” Mohamed wrote in a press release.
In her press release, Munira indirectly agreed with Mohammed’s statement that “no parent should have to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table.”
“Food is a human right. It is our collective responsibility, as a government and as a society, to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to meet people’s basic needs, not for cosmetic projects,” she wrote.
However, Strbich did not mention that American-born Democratic Ohio representatives also criticized their Republican colleagues for the same reasons, among them Allison Russo, the Democratic House minority leader and a candidate for secretary of state.
“On Saturday, nearly 1.4 million people across Ohio who rely on SNAP, including children, seniors, and veterans, will not receive help to pay for food,” she wrote in an Oct. 30 press release. “This includes nearly 600,000 children, who shouldn’t be punished and go hungry because of this federal shutdown and politicians in Columbus who want to play the blame game and sit on their hands.”
State Rep. Dontavius L. Jarrells, D-Columbus, also criticized Republicans in his press release.
The clash comes amid revelations that federal prosecutors secured convictions in the Minnesota Feeding Our Future case, a $250 million fraud scheme involving fake meal counts and shell nonprofits that exploited pandemic-era food programs, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
One defendant was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and additional guilty pleas have followed as the IRS and FBI continue their investigations.
Federal officials said the Minnesota cases may represent only part of a much larger problem, adding that they have begun investigating Medicaid, childcare, autism services, and other programs, with estimates suggesting total fraud could reach into the billions.
However, Ohio is not immune to fraud allegations among social service and welfare-related companies. According to a whistleblower, “massive fraud is happening in plain sight” within Somali-led social service and welfare-related operations in Ohio, Fox News reported.
