Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison is entangled in controversy over his ties to a Somali charity accused of massive fraud. Federal prosecutors have charged Feeding Our Future, a Minneapolis-based organization, with misappropriating $250 million in COVID relief funds meant for children.
Breitbart reported that the charity’s leaders allegedly diverted funds to buy luxury cars, real estate, and fund lavish lifestyles. This case, the largest COVID-related fraud in the nation, has led to charges against 47 Somali immigrants.
Questions now swirl around Ellison’s interactions with the group during the federal probe. Ellison’s office claimed in September 2022 that he had been “deeply involved” in investigating Feeding Our Future since 2020.
Yet, records show he met with the charity’s representatives in December 2021, while they were already under scrutiny. This meeting has sparked doubts about his awareness and actions.
A recently surfaced audio from the December 2021 meeting paints a troubling picture. Ellison appeared to treat Feeding Our Future as a legitimate entity, even promising to “help” them. He made no mention of their ongoing federal investigation during the discussion.
More concerning, Ellison hinted he might influence his office to halt the investigation. This raises serious ethical questions about his conduct as Minnesota’s top law enforcement officer. Conservative Minnesotans, wary of government overreach, see this as a red flag.
Nine days after the meeting, Ellison’s campaign accepted $10,000 from attendees, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon. This donation fuels suspicions about potential conflicts of interest. Critics argue it undermines Ellison’s claims of impartiality in the investigation.
In a recent op-ed, Ellison downplayed the December 2021 meeting as “routine.” He claimed it aligned with his “open door” policy for constituents. However, this explanation struggles to quell concerns given the charity’s high-profile fraud allegations.
Ellison further stated he was not “intimately familiar” with Feeding Our Future at the time. He insisted the charity “still wasn’t a household name” in December 2021. These assertions clash with his office’s claim of deep involvement since 2020.
“If I had had any way of knowing beforehand who those people were and what they’d done, I never would have agreed to it,” Ellison wrote in his op-ed. This defense suggests a lack of due diligence for a seasoned public official. Many conservatives view it as an attempt to dodge accountability.
Ellison noted in his op-ed that the Feeding Our Future scandal “started to take shape in earnest” in January 2022. This timeline places public awareness a month after his controversial meeting. The investigation became widely known in 2022, amplifying scrutiny of his actions.
The scale of the fraud—$250 million stolen from programs meant to feed children—has outraged taxpayers. Feeding Our Future’s misuse of funds for luxuries starkly contrasts with the needs of Minnesota’s vulnerable. This betrayal stings deeply in communities valuing integrity.
Ellison’s claim of aiding federal authorities since 2020 is now under a microscope. His warm engagement with the charity in December 2021 undermines his narrative of vigilance. Conservatives demand transparency, questioning whether political ties influenced his judgment.
The audio recording and donation records have intensified calls for answers. Ellison’s assurances of cooperation with federal investigators ring hollow to many. His actions suggest either negligence or deliberate leniency toward Feeding Our Future.
Minnesota deserves an attorney general who prioritizes justice over political connections. The Feeding Our Future scandal exposes vulnerabilities in oversight under Democratic leadership. Conservatives argue this case reflects broader issues of mismanagement in the state.