Minnesota Lawmakers Unsuccessful in Bid to Get Omar’s Testimony on Fraud Allegations; GOP Leader Discusses Future Actions

Minnesota Committee’s Subpoena for Rep. Omar Over Fraud Links Fails by Single Vote

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar has declined to respond to a Minnesota legislative committee seeking information about her potential connections to a major fraud scandal involving federal child nutrition programs, prompting a failed subpoena vote on Tuesday.

The House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, despite having a Republican majority, fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority required to issue the subpoena, securing only five of the needed six votes.

“We have reached out to Representative Ilhan Omar on multiple occasions, inviting her to testify and requesting documents,” explained State Rep. Kristin Robbins, who chairs the committee. Robbins emphasized that the congresswoman “had some role, whether inadvertent or not” in creating conditions that enabled the fraud scheme.

At the center of the controversy is Omar’s sponsorship of the MEALS Act in March 2020, federal COVID-19 relief legislation that Robbins claims “took the guardrails off the federal school nutrition program,” creating vulnerabilities that were later exploited.

The investigation is connected to the “Feeding Our Future” scandal, a massive fraud scheme in which dozens of individuals have been implicated for allegedly siphoning millions of dollars from federal child nutrition programs during the pandemic. FBI agents raided the offices of the Minnesota nonprofit in early 2022, marking the beginning of a sweeping investigation.

Last month, Rep. Omar reportedly “ghosted” the committee by failing to appear at a scheduled hearing focused specifically on the MEALS Act. Following that absence, Robbins submitted a formal request for communications showing how Omar promoted expanded access to federal child nutrition programs, including emails, texts, and meeting records with the Minnesota Department of Education.

Of particular interest to investigators is Omar’s public promotion of Safari Restaurant, a Minneapolis establishment that later became linked to the fraud scheme. Robbins referenced a Somali-language television appearance in which Omar highlighted the restaurant as a meal distribution site, requesting all communications related to the video and the restaurant’s participation in the program.

The committee also sought records of any contact between Omar and numerous individuals charged or implicated in the Feeding Our Future case, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and dozens of alleged co-conspirators. The deadline for Omar to respond was Tuesday, May 5, which passed without a response.

Despite the failed subpoena vote, Robbins indicated that the investigation will continue. “This is one of dozens, if not hundreds of things we are investigating. We have had hundreds of whistleblower reports. They continue to come in weekly,” she said, adding that even without formal hearings, the committee will persist in investigating whistleblower reports and “webs of fraud.”

When asked about next steps, Robbins acknowledged that the committee’s options are “fading” but suggested reaching out to federal lawmakers. “I’ll certainly talk to our friends in Congress to see if they would be willing to issue a subpoena,” she said. “I don’t know if they are, but they would have the same authority and it’s still relevant to them because it’s a federal program that’s been swindled.”

Robbins further noted that the federal government has a “whole menu of legal options” given Omar’s position as a member of Congress, though she expressed uncertainty about where this investigation might rank among other federal priorities.

Following the failed subpoena vote, Robbins expressed her frustration on social media, writing: “It’s the same story every time. Fraud is committed, information is suppressed, and the dysfunction continues.”

Rep. Omar’s office did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.