Ilhan Omar / Face The Nation
Several high-profile Minnesota Democrats have been linked to campaign donations totaling over $53,000 from individuals involved in the Somalian scams, one of the largest welfare fraud scandals in U.S. history.
The Minnesota Somali community’s scheme centered around the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, siphoned off approximately $250 million in federal taxpayer funds intended to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic, but were instead used for luxury purchases like mansions and high-end shopping sprees.
The total fraud, including state payments, may reach $1 billion.
There is currently a federal investigation that has already indicted 75 people, with more than half pleading guilty to charges including wire fraud and bribery.
According to a report from the New York Post, as Minnesota’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Keith Ellison received $10,000 from businessmen linked to the scandal. This included three $2,500 donations on the same day following a 2021 meeting with Somali business leaders, two of whom later became criminal defendants.
One donor, Gandi Mohamed, was indicted on federal bribery and fraud charges in 2024.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, representing Minnesota’s 5th District, where many of the indicted individuals reside, introduced the 2020 MEALS Act.
This legislation, passed with bipartisan support, loosened federal rules on meal programs by waiving site inspections and allowing bulk take-home food with minimal verification, changes that directly enabled the $250 million fraud.
Omar received $7,400 from three convicted fraudsters, which her campaign returned only after indictments in 2022, the New York Post reports.
Omar hosted her 2018 congressional victory party at Safari Restaurant, co-owned by Salim Ahmed Said, who was convicted of stealing over $12 million by claiming 3.9 million “phantom” meals.
Said used the funds for a $2 million mansion and $9,000 monthly Nordstrom sprees.
In 2020, Omar appeared on video at the restaurant praising the program. One of her campaign “enforcers,” Guhaad Hashi Said (no relation to the restaurant owner), pleaded guilty to running a fake food site and stealing $3.2 million.
Omar claims no knowledge of the wrongdoing. But as Bill Glahn of the Center of the American Experiment told The Post, “She knew who these people were. People she personally knew were making tens of millions of dollars in this program… Either she’s terminally naive, or knew and didn’t care.”
Minneapolis City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison, son of Keith Ellison, received $3,000 from donors including Ikram Mohamed, brother of indicted Gandi Mohamed. His campaign reportedly returned the funds after the scandal broke.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey took in $9,000 from nine defendants in the case. A former policy aide, Abdi Nur Salah, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Frey’s campaign returned the money and he recently won re-election in November 2025.
State Sen. Omar Fateh received $11,000 from connected donors, including $1,000 from Muna Wais Fudhin, the 75th person charged. His campaign also returned the cash after the scandal went public.
“Two of the biggest fraud donations were given to candidates running against each other for mayor,” Glahn said. “Both Frey and Omar Fateh took in thousands of dollars in donations from the people committing the fraud and it played absolutely no role in the election.”
State Sen. John Hoffman got $3,000, former State Rep. John Thompson received $1,000, and Washington State House candidate Shukri Olow (a Democrat) took $8,750 from indicted scammers.
The post Minnesota Democrats, Including Ilhan Omar and Keith Ellison, Allegedly Pocketed Tens of Thousands from Massive Somali Welfare Fraud Scheme appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.