Ilhan Omar ‘Completely Ghosted’ Committee Investigating Somali Fraud Schemes, Minnesota Lawmaker Says

Minnesota Republicans investigating widespread fraud in the state believe Representative Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) may be intertwined in the Covid-era Feeding Our Future scheme that allegedly stole more than $250 million in taxpayer money.

The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee called Omar to testify at a hearing on Tuesday, but the committee’s chairwoman told National Review that Omar “completely ghosted” state lawmakers.

The chairwoman, Minnesota state Representative Kristin Robbins (R), sent a letter to Omar on Wednesday, which was first reported by Fox News.

The letter said the committee and Minnesotans are “disappointed” that Omar failed to attend the hearing, and reiterated the questions the committee has for Omar regarding her connection to the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.

The progressive “Squad” member introduced the Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students Act in 2020, a bill that potentially paved the way for fraud to occur.

Questions include how Omar communicated the broader participation eligibility in the program to her constituents, her communication with Safari Restaurant — one of the largest perpetrators of fraud in this case — regarding how to apply to the program, as well as her communication with a list of Feeding Our Future defendants, who previously donated to Omar.

When asked about Omar’s refusal to testify, Robbins told National Review it is imperative the congresswoman cooperates because her bill potentially precipitated the fraud, and members of her staff also allegedly have ties to the fraudsters.

“I think there are a lot of answers that Minnesotans deserve from her [Omar], and so it’s very frustrating,” Robbins said. “She completely ghosted us. And then same with Attorney General Ellison.”

The committee has made multiple attempts to invite Omar to the hearing, including voicemails, letters, and an invitation via her scheduling portal.

The MEALS Act changed the welfare standards, providing waivers to non school-based organizations. Those waivers allowed groups to receive compensation for meals they allegedly served to underprivileged children throughout the pandemic.

“The MEALS Act, really, is what loosened the guardrails on the whole federal nutrition program that led to the scandal we have seen, that we now call Feeding Our Future,” Robbins said during the hearing.

Feeding Our Future was a Minnesota-based food distribution nonprofit that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, allegedly took advantage of a federal nutrition welfare program. The Department of Justice has charged dozens of defendants in relation to the scandal. Former Feeding Our Future executive Aimee Brock continues to deny her alleged role as the mastermind behind the widespread fraud.

“We relied on the state. We told the state, this [meal] site is going to operate at this address, this time, and this number of children. The state would then tell us that’s approved,” Bock told CBS News. She also said Omar was often among the officials who would make visits to the various meal sites.

Omar’s MEALS Act, at face value, was intended to ensure low income children received meals during the pandemic. In practice, however, fraudulent meal sites were set up across Minnesota that received funds from the program despite never actually providing meals to underserved communities. Many of these sites were run by Somali immigrants.

Because Omar refused to attend Tuesday’s hearing and testify, the committee played a video clip from 2020 in which Omar appeared on Somali TV of Minnesota. In her appearance, she speaks in Somali and thanks Safari Restaurant — a co-conspirator in the fraud scandal — for providing food to those in need.

“I’m very thankful for Safari for being part of those places where food is being given out, also for making food every day, and helping those kids’ families in need of food,” Omar said, according to remarks translated from Somali to English. “Each day, Safari gives out 2,300 family and kids’ meals.”

Democratic Minnesota state Representative Dave Pinto defended Omar during the hearing, saying, “I had the sense from looking at the video that her intention seemed pretty clear, which was to make sure that kids were fed.”

Robbins said it is “frustrating” to not have more bipartisan support in exposing the fraud.

She also understands the public’s frustration regarding the nature of these hearings.

“The public often asks me or emails me, ‘Why haven’t you arrested anyone?'” Robbins said. “As a legislative oversight committee, we do not have law enforcement power, so our role is to expose the fraud, to find out who’s accountable by having these hearings, getting answers on the record, and working to pass bills that tighten internal controls and oversight of these agencies.”

According to Wednesday’s letter, the committee would like all materials requested from Omar by May 5.

Omar did not immediately respond to National Review‘s request for comment.