innesota’s $250M Fraud Scandal Entangles Omar’s Campaign Amid Trump’s Anti-Somali Outburst
New revelations have intricately linked individuals convicted in a massive $250 million child nutrition program fraud scheme in Minnesota to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) campaign. While the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not accused Omar of direct wrongdoing, it has noted her prior interactions with some implicated parties. This extensive fraud, operating between April 2020 and January 2022, exploited a federal program designed to feed children during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in millions of dollars intended for meal reimbursements being laundered for personal gain.
The scheme involved claiming funds for unserved meals and utilizing “ghost” businesses within Minnesota’s Somali community. Key figures included Abdulkadir Nur Salah, co-owner of Safari Restaurant, which fraudulently received over $16 million. Another individual, Abdi Nur Salah, registered Stigma-Free International to facilitate the fraud across multiple cities. Rep. Omar’s campaign notably received approximately $4,700 from Safari Restaurant between 2021-2022, and she had campaigned there. A video shows her praising the restaurant’s role in child feeding prior to public allegations of fraud, which now place the establishment under federal scrutiny.
These disclosures surface concurrently with highly controversial remarks from President Donald Trump, who plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants in Minnesota. Trump lambasted the Somali community, asserting the U.S. would be “better off” without them and calling their country “garbage.” He directly connected his criticisms to the ongoing federal prosecutions in Minnesota, noting the involvement of many Somali nationals in the pandemic-era fraud. Rep. Omar swiftly condemned Trump’s statements, calling him “creepy” and “obsessed” in her strong rebuke.
