Crime

Minnesota’s Billion Dollar Fraud Puts Omar and Walz Under the Microscope

Published

1 month ago

December 9, 2025

VORNews

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – In the dense, bustling streets of Cedar-Riverside, where Somali and American flags hang side by side, and the smell of spiced tea lingers in the cold air, a massive fraud case has shaken one of Minnesota’s most tight-knit immigrant communities.

What started as an inquiry into pandemic-era child nutrition programs has grown into what federal prosecutors call the largest welfare fraud case in U.S. history, a $1 billion theft of funds meant for low-income families, schools, and children.

Caught in the center of the political firestorm is U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., whose push to expand child nutrition access during COVID-19 is now being reviewed for its unintended, or possibly ignored, fallout.

Federal officials refer to the case as the “Feeding Our Future” fraud. Dozens of people have been charged, including 79 defendants of Somali descent, in a state that hosts the largest Somali population in the country.

Prosecutors describe a network of fake nonprofits, ghost meal claims, and money laundering schemes that siphoned money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Programs.

Shell companies allegedly submitted bills for meals that never existed, then channeled the money into luxury cars, international transfers, and, under current Treasury Department review, suspected links to the Somalia-based terror group Al-Shabaab.

Minnesota Whistleblowers Come Forward

Whistleblowers from the Minnesota Department of Human Services say state leaders brushed aside early warnings. As those claims surface, critics are asking whether Omar’s drive to ease rules on child nutrition funding created a perfect opening for fraud, and how closely she and her allies crossed paths with those now convicted.

Omar, a former nutrition educator and anti-hunger organizer who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, has built much of her political identity on feeding children and fighting poverty. In 2020, when COVID school closures cut off daily meals for roughly 30 million students, she sponsored the bipartisan Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students (MEALS) Act.

Folded into the sweeping CARES Act under emergency authority, the law approved waivers meant to speed payments to off-site meal providers. The waivers relaxed routine audits and paperwork to move food to families faster. On the House floor, she argued that “bureaucracy” should not block hungry children from getting food, pointing to her own experience as a Somali refugee.

The measure passed with broad support and opened the door to about $250 million in additional federal child nutrition funds for Minnesota alone. Those dollars now sit at the heart of the fraud case. Prosecutors say many defendants used the very waivers approved during the pandemic to flood the system with fake invoices for meals that were never served.

Feeding Our Future, the nonprofit at the center of the scandal, allegedly moved tens of millions through a maze of businesses, including Somali-owned restaurants and sports clubs that reported feeding thousands of children per day. Investigators say in many cases the sites produced little to no food at all. Of the 87 people charged so far, a large share live in Omar’s district, turning what she once hailed as a policy win into a political liability.

Ilhan Omar Denies Everything

Omar’s office flatly rejects any suggestion that she aided or tolerated the fraud. “Rep. Omar fought to feed children during a crisis, not to enable theft,” said spokesperson Jeremy Slevin in a written statement. “Any claim that she is complicit is a baseless smear pushed by people who want to weaponize a tragedy against immigrants.”

During an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” last weekend, Omar condemned the fraud and its fallout in her own community. “Somalis are taxpayers too, and this hurts us all,” she said. She argued that warning signs were missed across many levels of government, calling the failure “systemic” and saying the breakdown came from weak federal oversight, not one piece of legislation. She also urged deeper probes into potential terrorism links and described any lapse in surveillance as “a failure of the FBI and courts.”

Even so, the personal and political connections around her are drawing new attention. Court records, campaign filings, and public photos show that Omar has had social and professional ties with several people now accused or convicted in related cases. In November 2018, she held her historic congressional victory party at Safari Restaurant on Lake Street, a well-known Somali restaurant partly owned by Salim Ahmed Said.

Said, 33, was convicted in March on 21 counts of wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering after prosecutors said he stole $5 million in child nutrition money. Safari claimed reimbursements for serving 5,000 meals a day to children.

Investigators say the records were fake and that the money helped pay for a Tesla, Rolex watches, and wire transfers to Somalia. Omar, a frequent customer at Safari, paid more than $10,000 to the restaurant for campaign events during her time as a state lawmaker and later as a congressional candidate, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

Links to Ilhan Omar

Another link runs through Guhaad Hashi Said, a Democratic political organizer who worked as Omar’s main “get-out-the-vote” force in the Somali community in the 2018 and 2020 election cycles. Hashi pleaded guilty in August to stealing $1.5 million from a youth athletic program that existed mostly on paper. Photos show Omar and Hashi together at marches and campaign events, sometimes with arms linked.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has subpoenaed documents related to Hashi’s work and claims he functioned less as a volunteer and more as a political enforcer. “Omar’s inner circle profited while kids went hungry,” Comer said in a statement. “This isn’t coincidence; it’s corruption.”

The financial and social network stretches beyond her campaign staff. Federal campaign records show donors with ties to the Feeding Our Future scandal, including relatives of some defendants, gave about $7,400 to Omar’s political committees. Prosecutors now say part of that money can be traced back to the fraudulent nutrition payments.

A former staff member, Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, has been charged in a separate Medicaid fraud case that investigators say touches some of the same circles. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also released photos of Omar standing with Abdul Dahir Ibrahim, a Somali man living in the U.S. illegally who has a 2004 deportation order and a conviction for identity fraud.

Federal records connect Ibrahim to the Feeding Our Future case. He was arrested last week as part of a high-profile immigration sweep ordered by the Trump administration. In other photos, Ibrahim appears smiling beside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, D, at community gatherings, next to letters of support from allies such as state Sen. Omar Fateh.

Tim Walz Plays the Fool

Gov. Walz, Omar’s longtime political partner and now the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, faces his own set of allegations tied to the scandal. Former Minnesota Department of Human Services employees say senior officials in his administration suppressed fraud reports in the name of “equity” in districts with large immigrant populations.

They claim data was deleted and investigators were punished or sidelined when they pushed concerns. “Under Walz, we were told to look the other way,” one DHS worker told Fox News anonymously. Walz’s office denies those charges and insists that any oversight gaps came from federal speed and confusion during the pandemic response.

Comer has expanded his inquiry to include Walz, issuing subpoenas for emails between his office and Omar’s office. Those records cover joint appearances at Somali cultural events where some of the accused fraudsters were present.

Omar and Walz share long-standing political ties inside Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Walz has appointed several of Omar’s allies to state commissions and boards, and she campaigned for his 2022 reelection.

Their shared photos with Ibrahim, posted by DHS, have stirred anger among critics who see a pattern of favoritism. “It’s not just photos; it’s a pattern of ignoring risks in the name of representation,” said Bill Glahn, a fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, a conservative policy group.

In a written statement, Walz said the recent arrests show that “justice is blind,” while also defending Minnesota’s Somali community as “essential to our economy.”

Omar’s Wealth Questioned

At the same time, questions about Omar’s personal finances have resurfaced and are feeding public unease. Her 2024 financial disclosure, filed in May 2025, lists her household net worth in a range between $6 million and $30 million, a dramatic jump from her 2019 filing, which reported a negative $45,000. Most of the increase stems from her husband Tim Mynett’s business interests.

He owns Rose Lake Capital, a Washington, D.C., investment firm valued at between $5 million and $25 million, which claims to oversee about $60 billion in assets. He also has a stake in eStCru Wines, a California wine company valued at between $1 million and $5 million.

Omar reported no personal income from these companies, though conservative outlets like the Washington Free Beacon have questioned the timing and highlighted that Mynett’s firm advertises experience in “structuring legislation,” a phrase that echoes her MEALS Act effort.

Omar has waved off these reports as partisan attacks. In February, she called them “right-wing disinformation” and said she is “barely worth thousands,” pointing to student loan debt and a lack of real estate or stock holdings.

Fact-checking site Snopes has explained that the upper estimate in her disclosure reflects the full range of her spouse’s assets, not her individual wealth. Based on those filings, her personal net worth likely sits somewhere between $65,000 and $115,000.

Even so, in a district wrestling with the fallout from a major fraud scandal, many residents say the optics are hard to ignore. “She’s one of us, but how does her family thrive while we scrape by?” asked Amina Hassan, a Somali mother of three, during a recent community forum in Minneapolis.

As Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promises to follow the stolen money “to the Middle East and Somalia,” the case has grown into more than a discussion about missing dollars. It has exposed deep tensions in Minnesota’s progressive project and raised sharp questions about how to support new Americans without opening the door to abuse.

Omar, who remains defiant on X, urged residents to stay focused on fair treatment. “This isn’t about race; it’s about accountability,” she wrote. With criminal trials approaching and the 2026 midterm elections moving closer, her once-rising profile in national politics now faces steady scrutiny.

For families like the Hassans, the sense of betrayal cuts straight to daily life. “We trusted the system to feed our kids,” Amina said, staring at the boarded-up doors of a meal site that once handed out free food boxes.

“Now it’s feeding doubt.” As federal agents and auditors sort through records and bank transfers, Minnesota waits, not only for convictions and sentences, but for some path toward healing in a community that feels both targeted and abandoned.

Crime

DOJ Issues Grand Jury Subpoena to Federal Reserve Over $2.5 Billion Renovation Overruns

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

VORNews

DOJ Issues Grand Jury Subpoena to Federal Reserve

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice has served grand jury subpoenas on the Fed (Federal Reserve), putting Chair Jerome Powell in the spotlight over his past comments to Congress about the Fed’s major headquarters renovation.

Powell disclosed the subpoenas in an uncommon video statement on Sunday. His announcement added fuel to a tense fight in Washington, where the long renovation of historic Fed buildings has turned into a broader clash between the central bank and the Trump administration.

Powell said the subpoenas were delivered on Friday. They raise the stakes around his June 2025 testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, where he defended the renovation and rejected claims that the Fed was spending freely.

Powell called some of the allegations “misleading and inaccurate.” He also disputed reports of high-end extras, saying the plans did not include “special elevators,” new water features, rooftop gardens, or extra marble other than replacing damaged historic materials.

Cost Overruns Drive a Growing Fight

The project is a five-year effort to upgrade the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building, built in the 1930s, along with the neighboring 1951 Constitution Avenue Building. Early estimates put the cost near $1.9 billion.

The Fed has said the work is meant to replace aging systems, improve security, remove hazardous materials discovered during demolition, and protect key historic features. The broader goal is to bring more staff into the two buildings and cut long-term leasing costs.

As work moved forward, the estimate rose to about $2.5 billion, an increase of roughly 30 to 35 percent. Federal Reserve renovation officials point to several drivers behind the jump. They cite larger-than-expected asbestos and lead paint removal, higher construction costs tied to inflation, lingering supply chain problems from recent years, worker shortages, and design and process changes required by historic preservation rules. They also point to oversight from groups such as the National Capital Planning Commission.

Powell has argued that big overruns are not unusual for historic building renovations near the National Mall, where rules can limit what crews can change and how quickly projects move.

Powell Says the Fed Probe Is Political Pressure

In his Sunday statement, Powell strongly criticized the investigation and said it has more to do with politics than building costs. He described the subpoenas as “pretexts,” and he said they fit into a larger push by the Trump administration to pressure the Fed.

“This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings,” Powell said. “It is not about Congress’s oversight role; the Fed, through testimony and other public disclosures, made every effort to keep Congress informed about the renovation project.

Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.”

Powell said he has served under four presidents, from both parties, and he framed the moment as a test of Federal Reserve independence. He said scrutiny of a $2.5 billion Fed building project is fair. Still, he called the criminal probe an “unprecedented action” tied to ongoing threats.

Trump Team Calls It Wasteful and “Luxury” Spending

President Donald Trump and his allies have used the Fed headquarters cost overrun as a symbol of government waste. They argue the price increase reflects poor oversight and bad planning under Powell, and they repeat claims that costly add-ons pushed the total higher.

The dispute became highly visible during a July 2025 tour of the construction site, when Trump and Powell both wore hard hats. Trump challenged Powell’s figures during the visit and suggested the real total could be even higher than reported.

Officials in the administration, including Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, have described the renovation as “ostentatious” and questioned whether it meets basic standards for fiscal discipline. Trump has also threatened legal action against Powell for “gross incompetence.” At the same time, he has demanded lower interest rates, saying high rates hurt Americans more than any building repair.

Trump told NBC News on Sunday that he did not know details about the Justice Department’s actions. He added that the only “pressure” Powell should feel is from interest rates that he says are too high.

Washington Watches a High-Stakes Test of Independence and Oversight

The fight has stirred a wider argument about how much sway a president should have over the Federal Reserve, which was built to keep monetary policy separate from day-to-day politics. Critics of the probe, including some Republican senators, warn that targeting the chair could weaken trust in the Fed and rattle markets.

Meanwhile, the Eccles Building renovation and the Constitution Avenue work continue behind scaffolding and heavy equipment. Crews are also working within strict preservation limits, which can slow timelines and raise costs. The project is still expected to finish in late 2027.

Powell said the Fed will cooperate with investigators while defending its actions. “No one, certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve, is above the law,” he said. As the DOJ grand jury Powell investigation unfolds, it could deepen the strain between executive oversight and central bank autonomy.

Related News:

Federal Watchdog Uncovers $550M Fraud in Biden DEI Business Programs

Crime

Mainstream Media and Democrats Pivot on Portland Shooting Amid DHS Revelations

Published

5 days ago

January 10, 2026

Leyna Wong

Mainstream Media and Democrats Pivot on Portland Shooting

PORTLAND, Oregon – American politics moves fast, and public stories can change just as quickly. The Portland shooting is a clear example. Early coverage centered on claims of federal overreach. Within a day, the focus shifted after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released information about the two people who were shot.

Since then, mainstream outlets and Democratic voices have adjusted their messaging, and the changes say a lot about how today’s news cycle works. The shift also arrives as fraud investigations in several states keep expanding, adding more pressure to an already tense moment.

On January 8, 2026, reports said U.S. Border Patrol agents shot two people in Portland, Oregon. Legacy outlets and many Democratic politicians reacted quickly. Headlines from outlets like Axios and The Seattle Times highlighted the basic claim, federal agents shot two people in Portland, and framed it as another example of aggressive immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

Progressive accounts on X (formerly Twitter) called the shooting “un-American” and demanded body-camera video. Some Democratic lawmakers condemned what they described as “lawless agents.” Others used the moment to renew calls to abolish ICE. Early posts and commentary often treated the two people who were shot as innocent migrants.

Portland’s recent history helped that framing spread. Images and clips circulated of protesters clashing with police outside the ICE building. Those clips traveled faster than the details of what happened during the encounter. With Democrats still trying to rebuild after the 2024 election, the incident became a rallying point, and critics of the administration accused it of militarizing domestic law enforcement.

DHS Releases Names of Portland Shooting

On January 9, DHS identified the people who were wounded as Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. DHS described them as Venezuelan nationals in the US illegally, and said they were suspected affiliates of Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization DHS said is designated as a foreign terrorist group.

DHS also shared its account of the incident. According to the agency, agents were conducting a targeted traffic stop when the driver, Moncada, allegedly used the vehicle as a weapon and tried to run them over. DHS said agents fired in response.

DHS claimed Zambrano-Contreras was tied to a prostitution ring and a prior shooting in Portland. DHS also said Moncada had a DUI arrest and a final removal order. The information appeared in a post on X from DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

That disclosure changed how the story read. The earlier “innocent victims” framing no longer matched DHS’s description. Conservative outlets, including Fox News, highlighted the new details and argued they undercut the initial coverage. On X, users and some journalists also pointed to early reports, including skeptical coverage from the Oregon Capital Chronicle, and criticized what they saw as missing context during the first news cycle.

A New Focus as Fraud Stories Grow

As more details about Portland circulated, critics said another pattern showed up. Coverage and political messaging seemed to move toward other fights, with more attention on claims of “excessive force” and less emphasis on DHS’s allegations about criminal ties.

This happened while major fraud investigations continued to spread. In Minnesota, federal investigators have reported more than $1 billion in welfare fraud tied to COVID-era programs, with reporting and commentary often pointing to Somali-run child care centers. The situation also created political fallout for Governor Tim Walz, who faced growing calls for accountability and later abandoned his re-election bid, according to the text’s account.

Trump has used the Minnesota case to push for similar probes elsewhere, including California. The same account says his team froze billions in funds and used the label “CALIFRAUDIA” while promoting the effort.

Democratic leaders pushed back. Figures, including Governor Gavin Newsom, criticized federal actions in blue states as “witch hunts,” framing them as political payback instead of anti-corruption enforcement. Supporters of that view said the investigations were meant to punish opponents. Critics said the message served another purpose: keep the spotlight off programs that failed under Democratic leadership.

What Gets Left Out and What Gets Repeated

A close review of the Portland coverage shows how different choices can shape the same event. Early reporting from outlets like USA Today and OPB focused on where the shooting happened, the nearby medical office, and arrests tied to protests. Those early stories did not include the DHS allegations about Tren de Aragua.

On cable news, critics said edited segments and short clips leaned heavily on community outrage and past complaints about ICE. They argued that DHS statements received less attention, which left audiences with a familiar picture of federal agents as reckless and aggressive. Supporters of the administration saw it differently and said the agents responded to a direct threat.

On X, some accounts first described the victims as a “husband and wife” running from ICE. Later replies cited DHS’s claims and corrected that framing. Independent voices said the problem was not disagreement; it was the speed of first impressions and the way missing details can harden into “facts” online. They compared it to earlier Portland coverage in 2020, when critics accused major outlets of downplaying antifa violence while focusing on federal responses.

Vance Blasts Media Coverage, Ties It to Corruption Claims

Vice President JD Vance addressed the topic during a January 8 press conference. He accused major outlets of bias and said poor reporting helps fuel public anger. He also announced a new Justice Department assistant attorney general position focused on nationwide fraud investigations.

Vance connected the new role to the Minnesota case and said the work would extend to other states, including California and Ohio. He also pointed to incidents in Portland and Minneapolis as examples of stories he said were misreported. In his remarks, he called on Governor Walz to resign and labeled the Minnesota fraud “staggering,” describing it as a betrayal of taxpayers.

Others in the administration, including Karoline Leavitt, echoed the theme that media narratives can deepen distrust and worsen public conflict. The message from the White House was clear: it plans to keep pressing both fraud investigations and public critiques of major media outlets.

The Portland shooting shows how quickly a political storyline can flip. DHS’s claims about Tren de Aragua challenged early assumptions and forced a reset in how the victims were described. At the same time, the broader fight over fraud investigations is pushing both parties into sharper rhetoric.

The account points to Minnesota’s alleged child care fraud and compares it to California’s reported $32 billion unemployment fraud, arguing that the numbers are too large to ignore. It also warns that brushing off DHS claims about organized crime risks public safety, while acknowledging that evidence and accountability still matter.

The FBI is now investigating the Portland incident, and that makes transparency more important than ever. If officials, media outlets, and political leaders keep treating headlines as the final truth, public trust will keep dropping. With the 2026 midterms on the horizon, the struggle to control the narrative is likely to shape what voters hear and what they believe.

Related News:

Mainstream Media Spins Minnesota ICE Shooting to Stoke Outrage

Crime

Trans Activist Vandalizes Vice President JD Vance’s Home Windows

Published

1 week ago

January 6, 2026

Leyna Wong

Trans Activist Vandalizes Vice President JD Vance’s Home Windows

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Just after midnight on January 5, a 26-year-old from Cincinnati’s Hyde Park area was arrested after police say the person used a hammer to break windows at Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home.

Authorities accuse William DeFoor, who identifies as transgender and uses the name Julia DeFoor, of smashing four windows and causing major property damage. DeFoor was charged with felony vandalism, plus misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass, obstructing official business, and criminal damaging or endangering.

The damage happened at a home in East Walnut Hills that is described as a secondary residence for Vance, his wife, Usha, and their three young children. Secret Service agents assigned to protect the property reported hearing a loud noise, then seeing the suspect on the grounds.

According to arrest reports, the suspect broke four exterior windows and also struck a Secret Service vehicle parked in the driveway. After that, the suspect tried to run. Agents detained the individual quickly, and Cincinnati Police officers took custody and booked the suspect into the Hamilton County Justice Center. The Vance family was not home during the incident. They had traveled back to Washington, D.C., the day before, after spending the weekend in Ohio.

Vance addressed the case on social media, calling the suspect “a crazy person” who tried to get in by hammering the windows. He said he appreciated the fast response from the Secret Service and Cincinnati police. He also said he tries to shield his children from the downsides of public life, and questioned the value of sharing photos of the home showing broken windows.

Cincinnati

Prior Pandemonium Before Attacking JD Vance’s Home

Court records show DeFoor has been tied to similar incidents in the past. In April 2024, the suspect pleaded guilty to two vandalism counts after causing more than $2,000 in damage to an interior design firm in Hyde Park.

That case was handled through the county’s mental health court program. DeFoor was ordered to complete two years of treatment and pay $5,550 in restitution. Records show treatment was still underway at the time of the latest arrest.

In 2023, a trespassing case tied to a psychiatric emergency services facility was dismissed after DeFoor was found incompetent to stand trial.

Investigators cited the prior record and concerns about repeat behavior when recommending a higher bond, according to court documents. DeFoor is set for arraignment in Hamilton County Municipal Court. Federal authorities are also reviewing whether additional charges could apply, including damaging government property and interfering with federal officers.

Cincinnati

Parents Prominent Democrat Donors

DeFoor is listed as the eldest child of Dr. William R. DeFoor Jr., a pediatric urologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Catherine DeFoor, a general pediatrician. Both parents are registered Democrats and have a record of political donations.

Public records say Dr. William DeFoor Jr. gave more than $11,600 to Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign and related Democratic committees through ActBlue. The family lives in a $1.3 million home in Hyde Park, one of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods, and the suspect attended private schools while growing up, according to the report.

Social media accounts linked to DeFoor show interest in transgender wellness resources, including likes tied to the Heartland Trans Wellness Center, a local group that supports transgender people. The family has not made a public statement about the arrest, and attempts to contact relatives did not succeed.

The vandalism comes as concerns about political violence aimed at public figures remain high. In recent years, attacks have targeted lawmakers’ homes, including the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in 2025 and the June 2025 killings of a Minnesota state legislator and her husband.

Vance has drawn criticism for his views on gender and family policy, and he has dealt with protests near his home before, including incidents that involved his young daughter.

Officials have not released a motive. Investigators are still working to determine whether the act was political, personal, or tied to other factors. Federal prosecutors and local law enforcement are coordinating as they decide whether the case will expand.

As the investigation continues, the incident highlights the security pressures that come with high-profile public service. Vance’s statement focused on keeping his children safe, and he urged restraint in sharing images of the home.