Minnesota Lawmakers Demand Ilhan Omar Turn Over Communications in $250M Child Nutrition Fraud Probe

Minnesota state lawmakers have given U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar a Tuesday deadline to respond to questions regarding a massive, multi-million-dollar child nutrition fraud scheme, as a legislative committee seeks her communications connected to the state’s embattled Feeding Our Future program.

The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Oversight Committee, chaired by State Rep. Kristin Robbins, has requested that Omar produce written and electronic correspondence involving the program by May 5. Lawmakers are particularly interested in the congresswoman’s communications with the owners of Safari Restaurant, a venue where Omar staged numerous campaign events and where she was a regular. The restaurant’s owners recently pleaded guilty for their role in the $250 million fraud scheme.

In an interview, Robbins emphasized the committee’s pursuit of transparency. “This is about getting the truth,” Robbins said. “That’s what we want. We want the truth. For far too long in Minnesota, people were afraid to tell the truth about the fraud problem, and when they did, they were retaliated against. And we have said that will no longer stand.”

When asked what action the committee would take if Omar fails to respond by the Tuesday deadline, Robbins acknowledged limitations. “We don’t have the full subpoena power at the committee at this time because of the makeup of the House being tied,” she said. “But we will certainly look at all our options and we will also continue to work with our federal partners who do have subpoena power.”

Robbins noted that court exhibits from the Feeding Our Future case list communications between Omar’s office, her staffers, and program defendants. “What were they communicating about? Did they tell them that they’d taken the guardrails off the program? Did they encourage them to get involved?” Robbins asked. “Safari Restaurant was the largest single site in Feeding Our Future… We definitely want to understand what her office was communicating.”

The committee chair also said that her panel was not briefed by federal authorities before recent FBI raids on approximately 20 locations in Minneapolis, including day care centers. “No, we watched it on the news like everyone else,” Robbins said. “I have a great relationship with our federal partners, and we certainly share information with them as we get it.”

Robbins dismissed suggestions that the probe is politically motivated against the high-profile Democrat. “This is about getting the truth,” she repeated. “We’re going to follow the facts and the law.”

Omar’s team and allies have largely framed allegations attempting to link her to the fraud as politically motivated and not substantiated. The congresswoman has not publicly indicated whether she will comply with the Tuesday request. Robbins noted that Omar “created the program, the meals act that took the guardrails off the school nutrition program that created the conditions for all this fraud, and she should come and answer questions.”