A fiery clash erupted in the Senate Homeland Security Committee as Senator Josh Hawley publicly demanded the resignation – and potential indictment – of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. The accusation: that Ellison aided individuals later charged in a massive $250 million welfare fraud scheme during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The confrontation centered around a December 2021 meeting between Ellison and representatives of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit now accused of systematically defrauding a federal child nutrition program. Hawley alleges Ellison secretly attempted to assist these individuals, citing public records of a 54-minute encounter that occurred before indictments were handed down.
Adding fuel to the accusations, Hawley pointed to $10,000 in campaign donations Ellison received just days after the meeting from individuals subsequently charged in the fraud. “You helped fraudsters defraud your state and this government… and you got a fat campaign contribution out of it,” Hawley declared, his voice rising with intensity.
Ellison vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing Hawley’s claims as a deliberate mischaracterization of the meeting and a selective use of information. He insisted he did not assist the defendants, asserting his office actively contributed information that ultimately led to prosecutions and convictions within the larger investigation.
The exchange quickly devolved into a shouting match, with both men interrupting each other repeatedly. The escalating tension prompted committee chairman Senator Rand Paul to intervene, urging both senators to de-escalate the heated rhetoric.
The Feeding Our Future case has already been identified as the largest pandemic-related fraud in the United States by former Attorney General Merrick Garland. Dozens of individuals, primarily of Somali descent, now face charges related to the scheme.
Investigations into potential fraud within Minnesota’s welfare programs are intensifying, with additional resources recently deployed to support the U.S. attorney’s office currently handling the complex and far-reaching case.
