House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth Criticizes Democrats Following Convictions in Feeding Our Future Fraud Case

(KNSI) — House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) released a statement following the conviction of five of seven defendants in the Feeding Our Future fraud case.

The group was accused of conspiring to steal $40 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Program. The money was supposed to go to feed hungry kids during the COVID-19 pandemic, but 70 people stand accused of using that money to buy homes and luxury vacations.

Demuth says, “Republicans have been raising concerns about fraud in state programs for years, but Democrats have done nothing to address it. Recently, Democrats allocated over a billion dollars to unaccountable nonprofits, despite knowing that over $250 million had already gone to fraudulent entities.” Even with the convictions, Demuth adds, “it’s clear that Democrats will continue to neglect the protection of taxpayer money from fraud and waste. Minnesota needs balanced state leadership to ensure taxpayers aren’t funding the extravagant lifestyles of fraudsters.”

The defendants faced multiple counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and federal programs bribery. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Mohamed Jama Ismail, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff and Hayat Mohamed Nur were found guilty on most counts against them. Said Shafii Farah and Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin were acquitted on all counts they faced.

The case is part of what is likely the largest COVID-related fraud in the nation.

The alleged ringleader, Aimee Bock, had filed a motion to sanction the Minnesota Department of Education, saying the agency destroyed evidence and used tactics to throw investigators off the trail, such as misspelling words or using spaces to spread out words that could potentially be sought out in discovery.

That motion was dismissed as “pure theater” based on “half truths and incomplete information.”

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