Tipsheet

Ilhan Omar's Response When Questioned About Minnesota Fraud Scandal Tells Us All We Need to Know

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) is having a hard time dealing with people who want to know more about her connection to Minnesota’s welfare fraud scandal.

Fox News Digital recently tried to question her on the matter on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., refused to engage when asked by Fox News Digital if she would cooperate with the investigation into Minnesota’s "Feeding Our Future" scheme.

The progressive lawmaker is accused of having ties to those involved in the scandal that federal prosecutors say cost taxpayers roughly $250 million. But when asked about her connections, Omar stayed silent.

"Did you ask Minnesota Democrats to block the subpoena for the investigation of feeding our future on the state level?" Omar was asked when confronted in the halls of Congress on Monday, but did not respond.

She then ignored a second question: "Would you cooperate with that subpoena and provide documents if they request it here in the House Oversight Committee?"

It's thought that Omar's MEALS Act, a federal COVID-19 relief measure she sponsored in 2020, ties her to the massive scandal. Many Republicans argue her bill enabled the fraud by rapidly expanding USDA waiver authority at meal sites.

Despite the concerns, the Minnesota Democrat has declined multiple opportunities in recent months to directly answer questions or provide information on her alleged ties to the fraud, including documented ties to some of the convicted fraudsters.

Meanwhile, Omar’s silence isn’t going to stop the investigation into her possible ties to fraud in her state. The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee invited her to testify this month. They demanded documents that could be related to the scandal. However, she refused to show up.

The state’s welfare fraud scandals became a major issue over the past year. Several organizations were found to have taken federal funds for services they were not providing. The most prominent of these was an organization called Feeding Our Future. The group used a nonprofit to swindle $250 million during the COVID-19 pandemic by claiming to serve millions of meals that were never provided.

House Republicans say Omar’s MEALS Act was included in COVID-19 relief legislation and that it opened the door to this type of abuse. The lawmaker has responded to this criticism by pointing out that the bill was bipartisan and that President Donald Trump signed it into law.