In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep.
Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., staunchly defended her support for the MEALS Act, despite the program's association with Minnesota's alleged $250 million "Feeding Our Future" fraud scheme.
When questioned by Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital about her potential regret for backing the bill, Omar firmly responded, "Absolutely not, it did help feed kids."
Omar, on March 11, 2020, introduced the MEALS Act, a legislation designed to modify the Department of Agriculture's food and nutrition programs. This included waivers on requirements for school meal programs, particularly those that escalated federal costs during pandemic-related school closures.
However, Minnesota has since been under the microscope for alleged mismanagement of federal funds obtained through these waivers, particularly in disbursing money for the "Feeding Our Future" program. This program is suspected to be the largest fraud scheme in the history of the pandemic, as reported by Fox News Digital.
The alleged fraud scheme took advantage of the U.S. Department of Agricultures decision to relax many of its standard requirements for the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic. This included easing its requirement for non-school-based distributors to participate in the program. As of November 2025, over 75 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
President Donald Trump has recently taken a series of actions to investigate and crack down on fraud schemes in Minnesota, which he has criticized as a "hub of money laundering activity." This criticism served as the basis for his decision to terminate deportation protections for hundreds of Somali migrants.
Fresh investigations have been announced by senior Trump administration officials, including a new Treasury Department probe into the alleged diversion of taxpayer dollars to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, as stated by Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump and other officials have focused on these alleged fraud schemes, attributing the criminal activity to mismanagement and "incompetence" from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate. In response, Walz criticized Trump's efforts, stating, "Its not surprising that the president has chosen to broadly target an entire community. This is what he does to change the subject."
The conspirators are accused of falsely claiming to have served millions of meals during the pandemic, using the money for personal gain instead. They are also accused of fabricating invoices, submitting fake attendance records, and falsely distributing thousands of meals from hundreds of so-called food distribution "sites" across the state. Some of the individuals involved are part of Minnesota's Somali diaspora, which is the largest in the U.S., although the ringleader of the scheme is not.
FBI's special agent in charge, Alvin Winston, expressed his condemnation of the scheme, stating, "Stealing from the federal government equates to stealing from the American people there is no simpler truth." Charging documents reveal that approximately 300 "food sites" in the state served little or no food, with the so-called "food vendors" and organizations fabricated to launder money intended to reimburse the cost of feeding children.
FBI officials have stated that the investigation and resulting trials and indictments continue to impact the state, and have already sparked legislative reform in Minnesota. They added that the investigation into the fraud remains ongoing, with additional charges expected.
Earlier this year, FBI Director Kash Patel described the fraud in the Feeding our Future case as a "profound betrayal of public trust." He added, "These individuals misappropriated hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to nourish vulnerable children during a time of crisis, redirecting those resources into luxury homes, high-end vehicles and extravagant lifestyles while families faced hardship."
Earlier this month, Trump suggested that Omar, who fled Somalia as a child, "shouldn't be allowed to be a congresswoman," a comment that drew strong criticism from some Democrats and from Minnesota's congressional delegation. Omar responded to Trump's remarks, calling them "vile" and his obsession with her "creepy."
In another incident, Ballasy questioned Omar about a claim she made that her son was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons refuted Omar's claim, stating, "ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omars son."
He criticized Omars comments as a "ridiculous effort" to demonize federal law enforcement and claimed her rhetoric contributes to a spike in threats against ICE personnel.
In response to Lyons' comment, Omar told Ballasy, "Well, their crackdown has terrorized my community, so they need to stop." This ongoing saga continues to unfold, with the impact of the alleged fraud scheme and the political fallout continuing to reverberate throughout Minnesota and beyond.
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