Minnesota Democrats on the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee have officially blocked a subpoena targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar over her alleged connections to the state’s massive $250 million Feeding Our Future COVID-19 relief fraud scandal.
The funds were intended to feed low-income children during the pandemic, but were widely abused in scams largely linked to the Somali community.
The development unfolded Tuesday during the committee’s final meeting of the session.
Republicans pushed for the subpoena after Omar completely ignored a May 5 deadline to turn over documents and communications, including any links between her office and a convicted ringleader in the fraud scheme.
The vote fell short at 5-3, failing to reach the required two-thirds majority needed to issue the subpoena.
Democrats on the panel voted against it, effectively protecting the congresswoman.
Prosecutors say the taxpayer money given to Feeding Our Future was instead used for luxury cars, jewelry, and other personal enrichment.
Dozens have been charged, with many of them part of Minnesota’s large Somali community. Investigators specifically want Omar’s records regarding her interactions with key figures in the case.
Omar has not responded to the committee’s requests.
Republican Committee Chair Rep. Kristin Robbins stated that the failed vote will not end the push for answers and that more options remain on the table.
“We have reached out to Representative Ilhan Omar on multiple occasions, inviting her to testify and inviting and requesting documents,” Robbins told Fox News ahead of the vote. “We have endeavored in multiple ways to get access to [information] because, as everyone knows, Representative Omar had had some role, whether inadvertent or not. She passed the MEALS Act in March of 2020, and that took the guardrails off the federal school nutrition program, which created the conditions for [fraud].”
“I do think the subpoena is important. This is one of dozens, if not hundreds of things we are investigating. We have had hundreds of whistleblower reports. They continue to come in weekly,” Robbins added. “Even though the committee will no longer have official hearings we will continue to investigate these whistleblower reports and webs of fraud.”
Hellbound and Down 