Ilhan Omar: ‘Longstanding Alarms’ Over Minnesota COVID‑Era Fraud; Calls For Full Probe

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D‑Minn.) said on Sunday that concerns about fraud tied to social‑program funding in her home state had been raised for years and must be fully investigated.

“There was always those alarms, and we will continue to understand where things might have gone wrong as these investigations continue, and as these fraudsters are prosecuted and sent to jail,”

One of the schemes under scrutiny involved an alleged $250 million fraud tied to the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Prosecutors say five people were convicted last year for diverting funds intended to feed children during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Authorities allege the perpetrators misappropriated and laundered money earmarked for meal reimbursements, using falsified meal‑count sheets, bogus invoices and fake attendance rosters to conceal the theft.

In the broader investigation, prosecutors have charged 87 people; 79 of those charged are reported to be of Somali descent. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States.

A U.S. Treasury Department official, Scott Bessent, said the department is probing whether some of the stolen funds were funneled to the Somalia‑based extremist group Al‑Shabaab. Officials have not publicly confirmed any transfers to the group.

Omar, who was born in Somalia, told CBS News’s Face the Nation she is “pretty confident” the funds were not sent to Al‑Shabaab but stressed the need for a thorough investigation to establish the facts.

“If that is the case, if money from U.S. tax dollars is being sent to help with terrorism in Somalia, we want to know and we want those people prosecuted, and we want to make sure that that doesn’t ever happen again,”

She also emphasized the local impact: Somali Minnesotans are taxpayers and potential beneficiaries of the programs whose funds were stolen. “We also could have benefited from the program and the money that was stolen,” she said, urging accountability and reforms to prevent future abuse.

Investigations and prosecutions remain ongoing as federal and state authorities work to trace the flow of funds and hold those responsible to account.