Minnesota lawmakers failed to approve a subpoena seeking testimony and records from Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar as part of an investigation connected to the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.
The Republican-led effort ended with a 5-3 committee vote in favor of issuing the subpoena. However, six votes were required under the Minnesota House’s bipartisan operating agreement, leaving the proposal one vote short of approval.
The vote followed months of increasing scrutiny over Omar’s contacts with individuals and organizations connected to the federal child nutrition program that became the focus of one of the country’s largest pandemic-era fraud prosecutions.
Republican committee chair Kristin Robbins said lawmakers had invited Omar to appear before the panel several times and had also requested documents from her congressional office.
According to Robbins, the committee considered a subpoena after Omar declined to testify and did not provide the requested information before the committee’s deadline.
Republicans have focused partly on Omar’s sponsorship of the federal MEALS Act during the COVID-19 pandemic. They argue that temporary changes made through the legislation relaxed oversight requirements for federal nutrition programs and contributed to conditions that were later exploited by fraudsters.
Robbins said lawmakers wanted to question Omar about why she supported the legislation, how she believed it affected Minnesota communities and whether her office communicated with people later implicated in the fraud investigation.
Federal prosecutors have accused participants in the Feeding Our Future scheme of diverting approximately $250 million intended to provide meals to low-income children during the pandemic.
Prosecutors said defendants submitted fraudulent meal counts, created shell organizations and used false reimbursement requests to obtain federal funds. Numerous defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted in connection with the case.
Republican lawmakers also requested communications involving Omar’s office and several individuals connected to the investigation.
