Americans demand woke activist Judge Sarah West be fired for freeing a guilty Somali fraudster

Hennepin County District Court Judge Sarah West faced intense national scrutiny after overturning a unanimous jury conviction in a high-profile $7.2 million Medicaid fraud case. The defendant, Abdifatah Abdulkadir Yusuf, had been found guilty in August 2025 of six counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle related to his home healthcare business, Promise Health.

Prosecutors alleged that Yusuf used stolen taxpayer funds to finance a "lavish lifestyle," including luxury vehicles and designer apparel. In mid-November 2025, Judge West vacated the jury's verdict and entered a judgment of acquittal, effectively setting Yusuf free.

In her ruling, she stated that the state’s case relied too heavily on circumstantial evidence and failed to eliminate "reasonable, rational inferences" that Yusuf's brother may have orchestrated the fraud without Yusuf's knowledge or involvement.

She utilized Minnesota Rule of Criminal Procedure 26.03, a rarely invoked "safety valve" that allows judges to set aside a verdict if they deem the evidence legally insufficient to support a conviction.

The decision drew immediate and widespread condemnation from jurors and public officials. Jury foreperson Ben Walfoort expressed "shock," noting that the evidence of guilt was so clear the jury reached its unanimous decision in only four hours.

Public figures, including Elon Musk, criticized the ruling, and Minnesota State Senator Michael Holmstrom labeled Judge West an "extremist."

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has since filed a formal appeal with the Minnesota Court of Appeals to have the original guilty verdict reinstated.

The case gained further national traction through reports by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who highlighted the ruling as a prominent example of what he characterized as systemic government and judicial failure in Minnesota.