❓WHAT HAPPENED: A fraud scheme involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future siphoned over $1 billion in taxpayer money meant for pandemic relief, with Minnesota Department of Education whistleblowers alleging Democrat Governor Tim Walz’s administration knew of but failed to investigate the corruption.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Feeding Our Future, its founder Aimee Bock, and other co-conspirators, many of whom are Somali. Minnesota state officials and federal prosecutors are also involved, including Gov. Walz.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The fraud began in 2019 under the oversight of Minnesota’s Department of Education and escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

🎯IMPACT: The scheme diverted federal funds meant for children and vulnerable communities, with ongoing investigations and political scrutiny over state accountability.

Whistleblowers with the Minnesota Department of Education allege state officials first uncovered evidence of fraud involving the Feeding Our Future nonprofit organization in July 2019. However, Democrat Governor Tim Walz‘s administration backed down from investigating the group after intense pushback from Feeding Our Future’s leaders, who accused state officials of discrimination against Minnesota’s large Somali immigrant community.

The lack of action by Gov. Walz, the Democrats’ failed 2024 vice presidential candidate, and other state officials allowed Feeding Our Future to continue perpetrating a fraudulent scheme to divert over $1 billion in federal money to fund its leaders’ lavish lifestyles for several years, the whistleblowers allege. In January 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the nonprofit, and it subsequently ceased operations. Initial charges were announced against 47 Feeding Our Future employees by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in September 2022, with the number of people indicted eventually increasing to 72.

According to the federal indictment, the nonprofit falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals to needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the group receiving nearly $250 million in federal reimbursements. Notably, Feeding Our Future is accused of purposefully contracting with the state’s Somali immigrant community to shield itself from scrutiny by using allegations of “racism” against investigators.

Aimee Bock, founder of Feeding Our Future, was described as the mastermind behind the scheme. She and 60 others have been convicted, with investigations still ongoing. Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, has denied allegations that she pressured state officials to bypass proper oversight, calling the claims a “lie.”

The scheme’s origins can be traced back to shortly after Walz took office in 2019. Initial tensions between state officials and Bock were documented, with employees noting unrealistic meal claims. By 2021, the fraud had ballooned, aided by relaxed safeguards during the pandemic. Feeding Our Future filed a lawsuit in 2020, accusing the state of discrimination, but the case was dismissed after the FBI launched its investigation in January 2022.

The National Pulse reported last week that the U.S. Treasury Department launched an investigation into allegations of mismanagement by Gov. Walz and the former Biden government, which allegedly allowed taxpayer dollars to be funneled by members of Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community to Islamist terrorist groups in their home country, including al-Qaeda franchise al-Shabaab.

Prosecutors have charged 87 individuals in connection with COVID-related fraud schemes in Minnesota, with 61 convictions so far. Investigations continue, with the total stolen amount exceeding $1 billion.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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