The Minnesota Somali fraud was worse than we thought
By Easton Martin | December 9, 2025
New reporting shows that the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme was flagged by state officials in 2019, well before the COVID era, raising new questions about why early warnings were not acted upon.
Officials at the Minnesota Department of Education noticed unusual meal reimbursement claims and described the numbers as unrealistic and inconsistent. Internal concerns were raised, but former employees say they were pressured to stop questioning the organization and continue processing payments.
The nonprofit went on to claim millions in reimbursements. During the pandemic, the scale of the alleged fraud exploded. Federal prosecutors later said the group falsely claimed to have have served 91 million meals and received nearly 250 million dollars in federal funds, much of which investigators believe was diverted for personal use rather than to feed children.
When state officials attempted to limit payments, the organization filed discrimination claims, delaying enforcement. Federal search warrants and criminal indictments later exposed the scheme.
Dozens of people were eventually charged and convicted, and investigators say the fraud extended beyond food programs into other government aid efforts.
