Ilhan Omar says Somalis had been additionally victimized in Minnesota fraud rip-off

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Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn., expressed frustration Sunday with the framing of the large "Feeding Our Future" fraud scheme that is embroiled members of the Somali neighborhood in her state, saying many Somalis had been victims as effectively since they may have benefited from this system.

"Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan referred to as the extent of the rip-off "stunning," noting it was the Biden-era Division of Justice that mentioned it was the most important COVID-19 fraud scheme within the nation and nearly all of the reported offenders had been Somalis, including to the "highlight" on Omar's neighborhood.

"Why do you assume this fraud was allowed to get so widespread?" Brennan requested.

"I need to say this additionally has an impression on Somalis, as a result of we're additionally taxpayers in Minnesota," Omar mentioned. "We additionally may have benefited from this system and the cash that was stolen. So it has been actually irritating for individuals to not acknowledge the truth that we're additionally, as Minnesotans, as taxpayers, actually upset and indignant in regards to the fraud that has occurred."

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has condemned the brazen fraud in Minnesota as "reprehensible." (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Put up through Getty Pictures)

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Brennan requested Omar if there had been a failure by the Minnesota state authorities, which is dominated by Democrats.

"That's what I alluded to in my letter that I had despatched to the Secretary of AG was to see the place issues had been going incorrect. How can this amount of cash disappear fraudulently with out there being alarms set off?" Omar requested. "And it's one thing that, , we now have to proceed to analyze. We've to proceed to ask these questions."

President Donald Trump and different officers have zeroed in on this and different alleged fraud schemes in latest weeks, arguing that the legal exercise is a results of mismanagement and "incompetence" from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate.

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Trump and Omar have traded barbs in latest days as effectively, with Trump calling Somalis "rubbish" and saying they need to return to their dwelling nation. Omar and different critics have referred to as the remarks bigoted and mentioned Trump is attempting to distract from his personal coverage failings.

The back-and-forth comes as Minnesota has come below contemporary scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of federal funds, together with in distributing cash for the nonprofit "Feeding Our Future" program.

Prosecutors have labeled the fraud scheme within the state because the largest pandemic fraud scheme within the nation, stemming from allegations that the Minnesota nonprofit and its associates defrauded federal child-nutrition packages for tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in COVID-19 support.

The New York Occasions reported final month, "Over the past 5 years, regulation enforcement officers say, fraud took root in pockets of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora as scores of people made small fortunes by organising firms that billed state businesses for thousands and thousands of {dollars}’ value of social companies that had been by no means offered."

Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth throughout a cupboard assembly on the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/CNP/Bloomberg through Getty Pictures)

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Omar mentioned she was one of many first members of Congress who inquired about what she referred to as a "reprehensible" rip-off.

Omar beforehand advised native outlet KARE 11 News , "The alleged fraud scheme orchestrated by ‘Feeding Our Future’ is reprehensible. Utilizing the guise of feeding youngsters to funnel thousands and thousands of {dollars} towards extravagant bills is abhorrent, and anybody who participated on this scheme have to be held accountable."