Ilhan Omar denies knowledge of Feeding Our Future fraud, blames Trump administration

Rep. Ilhan Omar said claims that she knew about the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme are false and pointed to the Trump administration's role in the rollout of the MEALS Act.

"Any claim that I had knowledge of this scheme is flat-out false," the Minnesota congresswoman said in a written statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

"The MEALS Act was signed into law by President Trump and passed with bipartisan support as part of a broader legislative package. Trump's USDA Secretary set the regulatory framework during the rollout of the program. I have always championed feeding kids and will continue to ensure our children do not go hungry."

Omar said that once the fraud came to light she immediately sent a letter to the USDA Secretary demanding answers and accountability. She called the theft of millions of dollars under the guise of feeding hungry children reprehensible and said she was grateful that Aimee Bock and others involved in the scheme are being held accountable.

Omar's comments come after she faced mounting pressure to explain her knowledge of and connections to the scandal that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee invited Omar to testify about what she knew but says she never responded, which prompted an effort to subpoena information from her. That effort was blocked by Democrats on the committee.

Just last week, the committee released its final report that accused Gov. Tim Walz's administration of fostering a culture of tolerance that allowed fraudsters to steal billions in taxpayer dollars overall. The report criticized Omar's MEALS Act, which was implemented into the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, for removing guardrails from federal nutrition programs by allowing for-profit restaurants to participate and permitting grab-and-go flexibilities that made it nearly impossible to verify if children were actually being fed.

State Rep. Kristin Robbins, the committee's Republican chair, said Omar only sent a letter once the fraud was exposed. She said Omar had previously sent letters urging the administration to keep the waivers in place, allowing the fraud to continue.

Earlier this month, Fox News Digital reported that a former Omar staffer sent an email to the committee also pointing to Trump's USDA during his first term and downplaying the potential negative impact of Omar's MEALS Act legislation.