Ilhan Omar Doubles Down on Support of ‘MEALS Act’ That Allowed American Taxpayers to Be Defrauded of Billions
Ilhan Omar / Face The Nation
The Gateway Pundit reports that Somali-linked fraud networks connected to Minnesota’s pandemic-era food programs may be far larger and more entrenched than previously disclosed.
What was first described as a $250 million scandal involving the “Feeding Our Future” program — and later acknowledged by authorities as potentially reaching $1 billion — may now exceed $9 billion and continue to grow, according to whistleblowers and expanding federal investigations.
Fox News Digital reporter Nicholas Ballasy recently questioned Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) about her support for the MEALS Act during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation has been linked to Minnesota’s alleged “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme. Omar defended her role and said she had no regrets.
“Do you regret pushing for that bill, the MEALS Act? Do you think it led to the fraud?” Ballasy asked.
While supporters argue the program helped feed children during school closures, critics contend it also enabled widespread abuse, enriching fraudsters and criminal networks.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, says she doesn’t regret sponsoring the MEALS Act of 2020, which fraudsters in Minnesota exploited for around $250 million pic.twitter.com/pcMlWkol4s
— Nicholas A Ballasy (@NicholasBallasy) December 18, 2025
According to Fox News, Omar introduced the MEALS Act on March 11, 2020. The bill modified U.S. Department of Agriculture food and nutrition programs by granting waivers to school meal requirements during pandemic-related closures, including waivers that increased federal spending. Minnesota later came under scrutiny for how those federal funds were managed, particularly through the “Feeding Our Future” program, which authorities now believe may represent the largest pandemic-related fraud scheme in the country.
Investigators allege the fraud exploited the USDA’s decision to waive standard oversight requirements for the Federal Child Nutrition Program, including rules governing non-school-based food distributors.
Although concerns about the scale of the fraud have circulated for years, Senator John Kennedy recently cited an internal memo from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office explaining why the state, under Governor Tim Walz, was hesitant to aggressively pursue the issue. According to Kennedy, the memo suggested political considerations played a role.
Kennedy quoted a fraud investigator who wrote that there was a perception “that forcefully tackling this issue would cause political backlash from the Somali community, which is a core voting bloc for Democrats.”
The revelations have renewed questions about oversight, accountability, and whether political concerns delayed action as the alleged fraud expanded.
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