A Republican-led effort in the Minnesota House to subpoena Rep. Ilhan Omar over her connections to the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scandal fell short on Tuesday, but lawmakers are now exploring whether Congress should vote to remove her from office.
The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee voted 5-3 in favor of issuing a subpoena to compel Omar to testify and produce documents. The measure needed six votes under the chamber’s bipartisan operating agreement and ultimately failed.
Committee Chair Kristin Robbins said the subpoena had become necessary after Omar repeatedly declined invitations to appear and failed to respond to document requests. Republicans on the panel have focused on Omar’s sponsorship of the federal MEALS Act in March 2020, which they argue removed critical oversight from child nutrition programs and helped enable large-scale fraud.
“We have reached out to Representative Ilhan Omar on multiple occasions, inviting her to testify and inviting and requesting documents,” Robbins said. “The only tool left for us as a committee if we want to get these documents is to issue a subpoena.”
The Feeding Our Future scandal is one of the largest pandemic-era fraud cases in the country. Federal prosecutors allege that organizers diverted hundreds of millions of dollars meant to feed low-income children through fake claims and shell nonprofits. Dozens of individuals have been charged, many tied to Minnesota’s Somali community.
Republicans have sought communications between Omar and individuals linked to the fraud, as well as records related to her public promotion of Safari Restaurant, a Minneapolis business later connected to the scandal. Robbins also referenced a Somali-language television appearance in which Omar highlighted the restaurant as a meal distribution site.
Democrats on the committee strongly opposed the subpoena, calling it a partisan attack. With the legislative session nearing its end, the failed vote effectively blocks the state committee from compelling Omar’s testimony.
Robbins indicated that Republicans are now considering other avenues, including asking congressional Republicans to issue a subpoena or pursue a vote to remove Omar from Congress. She noted that federal authorities have “a whole menu of legal options” because Omar is a sitting member of Congress.
The developments come as Republicans nationally intensify scrutiny of fraud in federal spending programs.
