Aimee Bock, the founder of the Feeding Our Future program convicted in a federal food fraud conspiracy, claims Minnesota’s Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar knowingly assisted Somali fraudsters in stealing nearly $250 million from taxpayer funds. According to Bock, who testified to the New York Post while awaiting sentencing, Omar facilitated the scheme by sponsoring legislation that expanded access to nutrition programs during the pandemic—a move that enabled fraudulent operations.
Bock alleges Omar directly aided the fraud ring by helping perpetrators secure federal subsidies through her legislative work. The Feeding Our Future scam involved at least 78 defendants, with 65 convicted and two recently sentenced. A key component was the MEALS Act, which Omar sponsored. This legislation allowed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue waivers of school-meal requirements during the pandemic, drastically reducing oversight by permitting restaurants to participate without standard site inspections.
Bock testified that Omar’s actions created critical gaps in the program’s enforcement: “There had been a couple times early on that there were some gaps — a waiver would be set to expire on maybe the 15th of a month, and then the renewal didn’t kick in until the 1st.” Emails and texts reviewed by The New York Post show Omar’s name appeared at least six times in court exhibits during Bock’s trial. Conversations revealed she repeatedly assisted fraud operators with waiver renewals after Feeding Our Future reached out to her office.
The scheme targeted Somali-run eateries like Safari, whose co-owner Salim Said was convicted of defrauding the government of $16 million—the largest payout in the case. Bock stated: “A lot of the sites were working directly with her… a lot of the operators were from the same Somali community.” Omar filmed promotional videos claiming Safari provided 2,300 meals daily to children and families during the pandemic and hosted her 2018 election party there. By July 2020, Safari claimed to serve 5,000 kids a day.
Bock also alleges Minnesota Governor Tim Walz knew about the fraud through internal communications she reviewed. Emails show Bock reported fraudulent businesses to the state’s Department of Education in 2021, yet officials “took no position” on the fraud when she flagged St. Paul’s House of Refuge. Omar has refused to answer questions from Minnesota lawmakers and blocked a subpoena for documents related to the scandal.
The New York Post notes that Omar’s congressional financial disclosures recently included an adjustment for an “accounting error,” while her husband co-owned a shuttered winery that produced no wine. Federal authorities have yet to act on credible accusations of immigration fraud against Omar, according to Border Czar Tom Homan.