Minnesota state lawmakers have accused Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., of participating in a scheme that siphoned more than $250 million in federal funds.
The allegations emerged during a fraud oversight hearing on Tuesday conducted by the GOP-controlled Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee. Lawmakers highlighted Omar’s role in advancing legislation they claim enabled the Feeding Our Future scheme.
At issue is the Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students (MEALS) Act, introduced by Omar in 2020 during the pandemic. The bill expanded eligibility for food distributors to participate in a federally funded child nutrition program, allowing non-school entities to receive reimbursements for meals provided to children when schools were closed.
Republican lawmakers argued that these expanded provisions weakened safeguards and opened the door to widespread abuse. “The MEALS Act loosened the guardrails on the federal nutrition program that led to the scandal we now call Feeding Our Future,” said state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the committee.
Authorities have described the Feeding Our Future case as the largest pandemic-era fraud in the nation. Prosecutors allege a network used shell companies and fraudulent claims to divert hundreds of millions of dollars intended for low-income children’s meals. In many cases, officials claim no meals were ever served.
Omar did not appear at the hearing despite being requested by the committee. In her absence, lawmakers reviewed a 2020 video in which she promoted the MEALS Act to Somali-language media and praised Safari Restaurant—a business later linked to key figures in the fraud scheme.
Court records indicate individuals connected to Safari Restaurant allegedly used program funds for luxury cars, real estate, and international travel while claiming to serve thousands of meals daily. Robbins said Omar’s actions, including promoting specific participants in the program, raise significant questions about her role and awareness.
“I think understanding her role in this is important,” Robbins stated, adding that the committee will seek further testimony or written responses from the congresswoman. Democrats on the panel countered that Omar’s intent was to ensure children received food during pandemic shutdowns, with State Rep. Dave Pinto noting the legislation addressed urgent needs when traditional school meal programs were disrupted.
However, Republicans contend the scale of fraud in Minnesota far exceeded that seen in other states and argue the legislative changes played a key role. The controversy follows additional scrutiny of Omar’s financial disclosures, with an amended report recently revising her and her husband’s reported assets from as much as $30 million to under $100,000 due to accounting errors.
