House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said on Friday that a sprawling fraud scandal in Minnesota might extend to the highest levels of state government, raising questions about the roles of Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, all Democrats.
Emmer described ongoing investigations into pandemic-era fraud programs as having uncovered what he called the largest COVID-related fraud case in the country, with more cases continuing to surface.
“It’s a major problem,” Emmer said. “We’re talking about over $1 billion in fraud and growing.”
“There’s Medicaid fraud. There’s the Feeding Our Future fraud. It goes on and on.”
The Department of Justice stated that through Nov. 24, 78 defendants had been charged in the Feeding Our Future case, which involved misuse of a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBS News reported Thursday that the defendants allegedly siphoned off roughly $250 million intended to feed poor children, spending the money on luxury items, real estate, and overseas travel.
Several defendants have pleaded guilty, with trials ongoing.
Emmer said Omar played a role in creating pandemic-era nutrition funding but stressed he does not know whether she had any involvement in the fraud itself.
“Did Ilhan know? I have no idea,” Emmer said. “Was Ilhan involved? I’ve got the same questions.”
He also raised concerns about Omar’s reported financial disclosures, noting that her net worth has been widely reported as having increased dramatically in recent years.
“How do you go from a net worth of $65,000 on a $172,000 annual salary … and suddenly have $26 [million] to $31 million in just three years?” Emmer said, emphasizing that the figures are drawn from publicly available reports.
He did not allege wrongdoing but stated the circumstances warrant scrutiny.
Emmer broadened his criticism to include Walz and Ellison, both of whom took office in 2019. He accused Ellison of centralizing approval authority over investigations and blocking inquiries that could have uncovered fraud earlier.
“When they came in, Keith Ellison announced there would be no more investigations without his approval,” Emmer said.
“He didn’t approve any of them. This thing has been allowed to go on.”
Emmer added that U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen indicated investigators are examining whether state leaders “looked the other way,” noting that accountability is necessary if wrongdoing is found.
“If it goes to the highest levels of our government,” Emmer said, “they need to be held accountable.”
