Minnesota state lawmakers accused Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., of taking part in a scheme that stole more than $250 million in federal funds.
The allegations surfaced during a fraud oversight hearing Tuesday led by the GOP-controlled Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee.
At issue is the Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students (MEALS) Act, introduced by Omar in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington Examiner reported.
Omar's bill expanded eligibility for food distributors to participate in a federally funded child nutrition program, allowing nonschool entities to receive reimbursements for meals provided to children when schools were closed.
Authorities have described the Feeding Our Future case as the largest pandemic-era fraud in the nation.
Prosecutors said a network of individuals used shell companies and fraudulent claims to siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars intended to feed low-income children.
In many cases, officials allege, no meals were ever served.
Court records show individuals connected to Safari Restaurant allegedly used program funds for luxury cars, real estate, and international travel while claiming to serve thousands of meals daily.
The controversy comes as Omar faces additional scrutiny over financial disclosure filings.
An amended report recently revised her and her husband's reported assets from as much as $30 million to under $100,000, which aides attributed to accounting errors, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The allegations against Omar have fueled broader concerns among conservatives about government accountability, pandemic spending, and the risks of loosening program safeguards without sufficient oversight.
