The failure of oversight by Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) of a federal food aid program led to the theft of $250 million meant for children in need by dozens of Somali immigrants. In September 2022, the Justice Department charged 47 Somali immigrants in Minnesota with stealing from a coronavirus relief program designed to feed impoverished children. As of June, only $50 million has been recovered.
Breitbart News reported in June that the scheme involved the 47 defendants creating an umbrella group called “Feeding Our Future” and then numerous sub-groups, which were advertised as providing food for needy children during the pandemic. The accused used these fraudulent groups to file for relief funding at mosques across Minnesota. Once they secured the funds, they reported feeding thousands of children daily and provided rosters of non-existent children to the government in an attempt to prove their outreach efforts. One such fraudulent feeding center was so brazen that it copied all the names from a website called listofrandomnames.com and sent that list to federal authorities, claiming to have fed those people.
An audit conducted by the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor found that Walz’s Department of Education “failed to act on warning signs known to the department prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and prior to the start of the alleged fraud, did not effectively exercise its authority to hold Feeding Our Future accountable to program requirements, and was ill-prepared to respond to the issues it encountered with Feeding Our Future.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that 70 people have been charged in federal court for their alleged roles in a scheme centered around a nonprofit called “Feeding Our Future.” Five of the first seven defendants to stand trial were convicted on Friday. The trial gained widespread attention after someone attempted to bribe a juror with a bag containing $120,000 in cash the night before the case went to the jury. Authorities are still attempting to determine the source of that money.
North Star State Republican legislative leaders said in June that the responsibility lies with Walz. Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R) stated, “This is stunning. The Department of Education and Gov. Walz have repeatedly tried to tell the public that they did all they could … but this report clearly demonstrates that was a false narrative.
Walz claimed his hands were tied and had to resume payments despite concerns due to a 2021 court order; however, the judge disputed that claim.