Four Lead Prosecutors Quit As Minnesota $250M 'Feeding Our Future' Case Nears Trial

Four prosecutors who led the federal prosecution of the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case have resigned from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota, joining more than a dozen colleagues in a widening staff exodus that insiders say has left the office severely depleted.

Departures and Immediate Impact

Sources inside the office say staffing has dropped to as few as 17 assistant U.S. attorneys, down from roughly 70 during the Biden administration. The four departing prosecutors — Joe Thompson, Harry Jacobs, Daniel Bobier and Matthew Ebert — transferred their responsibilities on the Feeding Our Future prosecution to newer attorneys in the office.

New Leads On The Case

The two prosecutors now overseeing the Feeding Our Future trial are Rebecca Kline and Matthew Murphy, both of whom joined the U.S. Attorney's Office in January 2024 after stints in private practice, according to their LinkedIn profiles. The final trial for the defendants accused in the Feeding Our Future scheme is scheduled for April.

Reasons Cited For The Exodus

People close to the departing attorneys pointed to multiple factors behind the departures: heavy caseloads, structural problems within the office, concerns about political influence from the Trump administration, and operational pressure linked to Operation Metro Surge — an immigration enforcement effort in the Twin Cities that has led to thousands of arrests and repeated clashes with protesters.

"The mass exodus we're seeing in Minnesota is alarming," said Stacey Young, founder of Justice Connection. "This administration asked them to violate their legal and ethical responsibilities, and they believed the exit was their only option. The loss of institutional knowledge and expertise will destabilize the U.S. Attorney's office."

Attempts To Backfill Staff — And Challenges

The Justice Department has reassigned prosecutors from other districts, brought in attorneys from the Department of Homeland Security and even military lawyers to help fill gaps. Those temporary measures have sometimes been difficult: a DHS attorney assigned to Minnesota told a judge, "this job sucks" and asked to be held in contempt "so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep," and was removed from the assignment the next day.

Background: Feeding Our Future And The Wider Scandal

Feeding Our Future was the first major prosecution connected to a sprawling Minnesota fraud scandal. Prosecutors say the nonprofit convinced state and federal officials to pay for meals for thousands of children but failed to deliver them, collecting about $250 million. So far, federal authorities have secured convictions of 62 people tied to the broader scandal and estimate taxpayer losses top $1 billion.

Other Related Investigations

Since the Feeding Our Future indictments, state officials shut down a housing program aimed at seniors and people with disabilities after uncovering what they called "large-scale fraud." Federal and state prosecutors also charged eight people in a scheme alleging enrollment as providers and submission of millions in fake or inflated bills. Joe Thompson previously said prosecutors were reviewing roughly $18 billion spent on social programs in Minnesota since 2018 and suggested investigators had "seen more red flags than legitimate providers," estimating a sizable portion could be fraudulent.

What Comes Next

With lead prosecutors gone and the office short-staffed, Minnesota's U.S. Attorney's Office faces a challenging period ahead as it prepares for the April trial and continues investigations tied to the wider fraud scandal. The office declined to comment on the recent departures, and officials in other districts declined to specify how many attorneys were reassigned to Minnesota.