A new report has exposed what appears to be widespread fraud in a food-aid program in Minnesota — and it has drawn attention to Rep. Ilhan Omar, since many of those implicated are connected to her district and some to her personally.
The scandal centers on the now-defunct program Feeding Our Future, which received government funding during the COVID pandemic to provide meals to children. Prosecutors say individuals and businesses — many tied to Minnesota’s Somali community — submitted fraudulent claims for meals that were never served, diverting huge sums of taxpayer money.
One of those convicted is Salim Ahmed Said, co-owner of Safari Restaurant, the venue where Omar held her 2018 congressional victory party. Investigators say Said and other co-conspirators pocketed millions in public funds.
Another individual with ties to Omar’s campaign, Guhaad Hashi Said, pleaded guilty to running a fake food-aid operation called Advance Youth Athletic Development. According to prosecutors, the organization claimed to serve thousands of meals per day but in reality stole more than $3 million intended for children.
Critics argue that Omar — who introduced legislation through which the funding flowed — should have been aware of potential vulnerabilities and oversight failures. They claim the connections between her and some of the individuals now convicted raise serious questions about accountability.
While Omar has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing, the revelations have intensified scrutiny of her relationships with people involved in the fraud and sparked broader concerns over how the program rapidly expanded without sufficient monitoring.